The Honolulu Star-Advertiser and Hawaii News Now challenged Judge Karen Ahn’s decision to close her courtroom to the public on several instances during the last day of jury deliberations in the first trial of State v. Christopher Deedy. The Law Center organized and filed an amicus curiae—friend of the court—brief on behalf of 13 media outlets and organizations to support the specific challenge to Judge Ahn’s conduct and ask the Hawaii Supreme Court to establish procedural requirements for all cases involving the closure of state courts to the public. On July 16, 2014, the Hawaii Supreme Court issued an opinion that set clear procedural safeguards to protect against improper courtroom closures and established Hawaii as a national leader in preserving the public’s right to observe court proceedings. No. SCPW-13-3250.
Amicus Entities: Peer News LLC dba Civil Beat; LIN Television Corp. dba KHON; Hearst Television, Inc. (KITV); Hawaii Public Radio; Associated Press; Stephens Media LLC dba Hawaii Tribune-Herald and dba West Hawaii Today; Maui Time Productions, Inc. dba Maui Time Weekly; Hawaii Reporter; Hawaii Independent; Hawaii Professional Chapter, Society of Professional Journalists; Media Council Hawaii; and Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.
- Star-Advertiser and Hawaii News Now Petition (9/6/13)
- Amicus Brief (10/18/13)
- Hawaii Supreme Court Opinion (7/16/14)
- Order of Correction (8/5/14)