Newspapers may be liable for reporting on tapes: recordings of officials' conversation played at press conference

Article Abstract:

The Louisiana Supreme Court in Keller v. Aymond upheld a lower court ruling holding two newspapers liable for disclosing the contents on a conversation between a state trial judge and a parish police juror that was obtained through an illegal telephone wire-tap. According to the appellate court, neither the press nor the public had a right of access to private conversations between private individuals made in the privacy of their homes. The court held further that the newspapers could be held civilly liable under the Louisiana Electronic Surveillance Act for publishing the contents of the illegally obtained conversation.

Louisiana, Freedom of the press, Wiretapping

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Court holds 911 tapes must be released 'immediately.'(Ohio)

Article Abstract:

The Ohio Supreme Court ruled in March 1996 that tapes of 911 emergency calls are public records and must be turned over to the media immediately upon request. The case consolidated lawsuits filed by The Cincinnati Post and The Cincinnati Enquirer over tapes concerning four separate murders in 1994 and 1995. The court was responding to the Enquirer's request for a declaration that 911 tapes are categorically open under Ohio's Public Records Act. That act covers routine offense and incident reports, though not investigations.

Management, Ohio, Testimony, Murder, Emergency reporting systems (Telephone)

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Order to turn over BLM mailing list reversed without hearing

Article Abstract:

The US Supreme Court overturned a US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruling calling for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to provide an environmental group with the mailing list for the BLM's Oregon newsletter. In Bibles v. Oregon Natural Desert Ass'n, the Supreme Court ruled without any hearings or briefs that the public interest group was not entitled to the mailing list. It ruled that the only interest that justifies disclosure of government information is the public's interest in agency performance.

United States, Records and correspondence, Freedom of information, United States. Bureau of Land Management

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