Participated in an amicus brief (with other amici) filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Bradley v. Ackal. At issue is whether a court order sealing a settlement between the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office and the minor child of an alleged victim of an unlawful officer-involved shooting violates the public’s rights of access. The brief stresses that the settlement agreement, including the settlement amount, is subject to both First Amendment and common law presumptions of access. By allowing the settlement agreement to remain sealed, the district court ignored the paramount public interest in access. Thus, the brief urges the appellate court to reverse the district court’s order. [2019]
