ProPublica Wins Lawsuit over Access to Court Records in U.S. Navy Cases

4 days ago

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.

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