Oahu Publications Inc. v. Ahn

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser and Hawai`i 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 Hawai`i Supreme Court to establish procedural requirements for all cases involving the closure of state courts to the public.  On July 16, 2014, the Hawai`i Supreme Court issued an opinion that set clear procedural safeguards to protect against improper courtroom closures and established Hawai`i 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); Hawai`i Public Radio; Associated Press; Stephens Media LLC dba Hawai`i Tribune-Herald and dba West Hawai`i Today; Maui Time Productions, Inc. dba Maui Time Weekly; Hawai`i Reporter; Hawai`i Independent; Hawai`i Professional Chapter, Society of Professional Journalists; Media Council Hawai`i; and Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.