- A federal judge ruled that the Navy must provide public access to criminal trials and records, ending years of secrecy.
- The ruling came after ProPublica sued the Navy for withholding court documents in a high-profile arson case involving sailor Ryan Mays.
- The Navy previously withheld records from preliminary hearings and only released scant records post-trial if the outcome was guilty.
- Now, the Navy must provide timely access to all nonclassified trial and preliminary hearing records, regardless of the outcome.
- The judge rejected the Navy's argument that Article 32 hearing reports should remain confidential, stating they are similar to public civilian court proceedings.
- The ruling imposes deadlines: hearing and trial transcripts must be released within 30 days of a request, and other records within 60 days.
- The Navy must also give 10 days' advance notice of preliminary hearings, including defendants' full names and charge sheets.
- The judge did not extend the ruling to require similar transparency across all military branches, citing discretionary powers of the defense secretary.
- ProPublica hailed the decision as a landmark victory for transparency in military justice.