FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefac.org
MAY 21 LETTER
Access/RI — a coalition of open government groups including the New England First Amendment Coalition — recently cautioned against Rhode Island legislation that would keep the municipalities of judicial officials secret.
House Bill 7758 would exempt from the Rhode Island Access to Public Records Act the city or town of residence of the justices, judges, and magistrates of the unified judicial system.
In a May 21 letter to Rhode Island Supreme Court General Counsel Kathleen Kelly, Access/RI President Linda Lotridge Levin wrote that:
We realize that threats against judicial officers have significantly increased in recent years, justifiably leading to passage of a measure in the U.S. Congress to keep confidential the home addresses of judges. But that law did not go so far as to keep secret their municipality of residence, and we urge that it not be extended to state law either. While we acknowledge that, over our coalition’s objections, the General Assembly passed a similar measure for police officers a few years ago, that unwise action should not serve as a precedent to keep the municipal residences of more and more government officials and employees secret.
As a practical matter, Levin explained, creating an exemption in APRA for this specific piece of information offers a false sense of security. In a state as small as Rhode Island, the community where a judge resides is often well-known.
“Unfortunately,” she added, “the list of exemptions to APRA’s promise of transparency continues to grow almost every year. We firmly believe that new exceptions should be added only for compelling reasons and when there are strong arguments for a necessity for secrecy. We do not believe they exist in this instance.”
NEFAC is the region’s leading advocate for the First Amendment and the public’s right to know about government. All coalition briefs, advocacy letters and statements can be found here.
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 is supported by the Estate of Gloria Negri. Additional funding is provided by Leadership Circle donors including the Rhode Island Foundation, The Boston Globe, Paul and Ann Sagan, and the Robertson Foundation. Major Supporters of NEFAC’s work are Hearst Connecticut Media Group, Boston University, the Academy of New England Journalists, Connecticut Public, WCVB-Boston and WBUR-Boston.