The New England First Amendment Coalition testified this week against an unconstitutional law that prohibits the posting of Vermont criminal records online for public access.
H.572 would rescind that law and allow state courts to provide online access to the records — a measure supported by NEFAC and in line with both the federal and Vermont constitutions.
The Yale Law School Media Freedom and Information Access Clinic provided both oral and written testimony on behalf of NEFAC. Anna Selbrede, a student director at the clinic, said that the current law “makes it nearly impossible for journalists and members of the public to follow criminal prosecutions and to monitor the functioning of the criminal courts.”
In her written remarks to the state’s House Committee on the Judiciary, Selebrede explained that:
“When access to court records is severely burdened, confidence in the judicial process is lost, as the press cannot timely report or must forego reporting altogether. This is the case in Vermont, where journalists must spend hours at the courthouse, battling bureaucracy and technology to use terminals that are limited in number and often out of service, seeking assistance from busy clerks to log in, print hard copies, or even take individual pictures of each page with their phones. For newsgatherers, timeliness of reporting is crucial, and this delay is often tantamount to an outright denial of access.”
NEFAC is the region’s leading advocate for First Amendment freedoms and the public’s right to know about government. Learn more about the coalition’s work and read about its recent advocacy.
NEFAC was formed in 2006 to advance and protect the Five Freedoms of the First Amendment, including the principle of the public’s right to know. We’re a broad-based organization of people who believe in the power of an informed democratic society. Our members include lawyers, journalists, historians, academics and private citizens.
Our coalition is funded through contributions made by those who value the First Amendment and who strive to keep government accountable. Please make a donation here.
NEFAC appreciates the support of all its donors and contributors. In particular, we would like to recognize the Estate of Gloria L. Negri, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the following Leadership Circle donors: Rhode Island Foundation, The Boston Globe, Paul and Ann Sagan, and the Robertson Foundation. Major Supporters of NEFAC’s work include Hearst Connecticut Media Group, Boston University, the Academy of New England Journalists, and Truro News.