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THREAD: I’m in Graham, NC, trying to get into court to observe criminal proceedings related to recent #BLM protests. Sheriff’s deputies told me that reporters are not allowed in, only defendants and attorneys. #ncpol 1/
I pointed out that I have a right to a hearing before the courts are closed and asked to speak with a judge. I didn’t get a chance to do that. Instead, a deputy told me that Judge Wilkins said no reporters were allowed. 2/
. @newsobserver is putting together a challenge to this blanket policy keeping the press out of the courts. The U.S. Supreme Court has issued an opinion on access to to criminal proceedings. Richmond Newspapers, Inc. v. Virginia 3/
They held that the right to attend criminal trials "is implicit in the guarantees of the First Amendment; without the freedom to attend such trials, which people have exercised for centuries, important aspects of freedom of speech and 'of the press could be eviscerated.'" 4/
No one in the Alamance County courts has yet responded to requests for accommodations that would take into account COVID precautions, but also provide transparency. 5/
However, a proposed plan for jury trials indicates the Alamance courts do have ways of providing greater public access to proceedings (which has not been terribly problematic in other counties, even with COVID). 6/
Stay tuned. I’ll update this thread with new developments. 7/
@jordangreentcb from Triad City Beat also asked for access and to speak with a judge. A deputy told him that the judge had declined to allow access. 8/
Here’s the objection submitted to Judge Wilkins by @newsobserver, @Triad_City_Beat and @AlamanceNews. 9/
Sorry for the delayed updates. It got rather dramatic. Tom Boney, the publisher of the @AlamanceNews brought our objection to the court and was able to get in front of the judge. He didn’t get to speak much, though, and was hauled out in handcuffs. 10/
According to Boney, the judge did not buy the argument that journalists are essential workers or that the exclusion of reporters from the hearing amounted to a closed court. He said he would hold Boney in contempt, but later backed off that. 11/
Boney said the arrest itself was rough. He said he wouldn’t have been surprised if his wrist had been broken. In the end, a deputy Boney described as much nicer walked him back to his office.
Here’s the story I’ve written about all this, plus the sentencing we hoped to observe. https://amp.newsobserver.com/news/local/article247695930.html
