Vermont media wins appeals court ruling on right of access

In a long-awaited opinion, the Second Circuit ruled in favor of media groups in Vermont that challenged a local policy of withholding access to new cases as they came into the courthouse.

The new cases are a traditional source of news, especially in current times, because they represent the latest controversies and disputes coming into court for resolution. The Vermont Press Association and other publishers fought a Vermont policy that blacks out new complaints when they first arrive.

The resulting delays, while clerks handle clerical duties, turns the cases into old news before they can be reported in the media.

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