THE NEFAC REPORT | June 2015
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NEFAC Calls for Improved Public Access to Massachusetts Trial Court Records
Coalition Testifies at Hearing to Long-Standing Tradition, Benefits of Transparency Within State Judicial System
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| | View Pyle's testimony on behalf of NEFAC and other FOI advocates. |
The New England First Amendment Coalition testified earlier this month in favor of improving access to Massachusetts court records, calling such access a long-standing public benefit within the Commonwealth.
"Public access to court records is not just a public benefit to the here and now, it is part of this Commonwealth's proud legal heritage," said attorney Jeffrey Pyle of Prince Lobel Tye in Boston, speaking on behalf of NEFAC and several other media organizations. "The law has been pretty clear, for a long time, that strictly speaking there is no privacy interest in court records and information that is publicly available in our courtrooms."
Pyle and many other open government advocates spoke June 15 at a public hearing held by the state's Trial Court Public Access to Court Records Committee. The committee is developing trial court rules that would govern the public's access to court records. [More]
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It's Time to Establish a Vt. Independent Ethics Commission, Improve Transparency
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 Vermonters deserve good government - and that includes an open and transparent government.
We are proud of our state and our collective ability to overcome any difficult issue we may encounter. As Vermonters, when we see a problem, we know we can fix it through hard work and a dose of common sense. We expect the same of our government. [More]
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Mass. AG's Enforcement of Public Records Law Important Step, Reform Still Needed
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The Massachusetts Freedom of Information Alliance today applauded the first enforcement of the public records law in five years by the Attorney General's Office. MassFOIA is a network of more than 40 groups, including the New England First Amendment Coalition, committed to reforming the state public records statute. [More]
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Cameras in Courtrooms: Reconsidering the Rules, Advocating for More Press Access
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View Silverman's comments about why cameras should be allowed in courtrooms.
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NEFAC Executive Director Justin Silverman recently appeared in a video explaining the rules against cameras in federal courtrooms and why they should be reconsidered. The New England Newspaper & Press Association produced the video, which features several media experts and open government advocates.
Silverman said the public is disserviced by not having video footage to share stories that are now being told only through sketches and written accounts.
"There's some irony there, where we have more technology at our disposal now than we've ever had," Silverman said. "But we can't get a camera into the room and we're relying on the drawings, artist renderings of all the parties that are involved."
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OTHER FOI AND FIRST AMENDMENT NEWS
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