| Newsgroup Leader Kathleen ActionLyme 2006-05-09, 11:29 am |
| courant.com
http://www.courant.com/news/local/h...headlines-local
Rell To Form Panel On Court Access
By LYNNE TUOHY
COURANT STAFF WRITER
May 9 2006
Gov. M. Jodi Rell announced Monday that she is appointing a commission
to examine issues of public access to the courts, saying the judicial
branch "can and must be made more open to the public."
"Recent events have highlighted the need to review the manner in which
the judicial branch of government conducts its business," Rell said.
She has appointed prominent Hartford attorney Thomas Groark to chair
the commission, and former Freedom of Information Commission Executive
Director Mitchell Pearlman as one of its members.
Senior Associate Justice David M. Borden, as acting chief justice, last
week began assembling a committee of his own to examine public access
to the courts, among other things. His committee is chaired by Justice
Richard N. Palmer, and includes a half-dozen journalists, as well as
administrative judges and several lawyers. One member of the committee,
Judge Aaron Ment, said the committee will fashion solutions "to matters
of mutual concern to the courts, the media, the bar and the public."
Its first meeting is scheduled for May 25.
Borden's committee expects to announce its recommendations and
proposals in September; Rell said her commission, made up of
prosecutors, lawyers, judges, legislators and members of the press and
public, would complete its work "this fall."
Both groups were formed after the revelation last month that former
Chief Justice William J. Sullivan secretly held up release of a
controversial ruling limiting access to the courts to help the
prospects of Justice Peter Zarella to succeed him as chief justice.
Zarella and Sullivan both voted with the majority in the 4-3 ruling,
which held that the judiciary'selectronic motor vehicle and criminal
dockets are not public information under the state's Freedom of
Information Act.
Rell said her commission's review will include "standards of access to
paper and electronic records, documents and databases." While
acknowledging the need for some degree of confidentiality in some
cases, "at the same time, we have learned in recent weeks that this
confidentiality, this secrecy, can lead to potential abuses and
conflicts."
Rep. Michael Lawlor, D-East Haven, co-chairman of the legislature's
judiciary committee, said Rell's sudden interest in public access to
the courts is in contrast with her nomination of Zarella, who he said
has a "track record on court confidentiality."
"How could you nominate a chief justice and apparently never ask any of
the obvious questions?" said Lawlor, who has been critical of Rell
since her announcement March 17 of Sullivan's intention to retire from
his post as chief justice and her intention to nominate Zarella to
succeed him.
Lawlor and Co-chairman Sen. Andrew McDonald, D-Stamford, criticized
Rell for not giving legislative leaders advance notice of Zarella's
nomination - standard practice in the past - and for trying to push the
nomination through so close to the end of the legislative session.
Lawlor said that if Rell had consulted with them, they would have told
her Zarella's actions regarding court access would be a subject of
concern during committee hearings on his nomination.
Zarella asked Rell to withdraw his name from consideration April 24,
the same day Borden revealed Sullivan's secret hold on the FOI
decision.
Copyright 2006, Hartford Courant
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