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Constitutional Law -- Times Mirror Co. v. United States and a Qualified First Amendment Right of Public Access to Search Warrant Proceedings and Supporting Affidavits

NCJ Number
126422
Journal
Notre Dame Law Review Volume: 65 Issue: 4 Dated: (1990) Pages: 781-802
Author(s)
R J Brantman; S K Martinsen
Date Published
1990
Length
22 pages
Annotation
A revised two-prong test should be applied to search warrant materials and other proceedings that have relatively short histories.
Abstract
The Supreme Court has required judicial proceedings to satisfy the two-prong test in order for the public to have a qualified first amendment right of access to them. Applying the current two-prong test to warrant proceedings, the Ninth Circuit correctly held that the public does not have a qualified first amendment right of access to search warrant proceedings and materials while a pre-indictment investigation is underway. The evidence does not reveal a historical tradition of openness, and therefore, search warrant materials do not satisfy the "historical openness" prong of the two-prong test. Furthermore, the interests in favor of access do not significantly outweigh the burdens of access. Therefore, search warrant materials do not satisfy the "significant positive role" prong of the two-prong test. 170 notes