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Court Sealed Hearings (DRAFT)
HB 2825
HB 2825 would limit judges' ability to keep hearings and information about court cases shielded from the public. For both civil and criminal cases, when a party or a victim requests the proceedings to be "sealed", the court would have to enter a written finding of good cause before granting the request. Good cause would not exist unless the court finds that a safety, property, or privacy interest "predominates" the case and outweighs the strong public interest in open access.
Status 08-Feb-29 12:00 pm: The bill passed the House on final action by a vote of 122-1 and was forwarded to the Senate. It was supported in House committee by both the Kansas Press Association and the Kansas Association of Broadcasters. Senate Judiciary Chairman John Vratil spoke unenthusiastically about the bill's prospects there.
Key Players: Rep. Lance Kinzer, Kansas Press Association, Kansas Association of Broadcasters, Sen. John Vratil
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