SmarterthanYou
rebel
For most of our history, the judiciary has kept all of it's actions and decisions open to the public, but lately, things are changing.
In a very unflattering story of the United States attorney’s office in Kansas, which has very seriously overreacted to a public defense of doctors who prescribe pain medication, the 10th circuit court of appeals has sealed proceedings and several amici briefs from groups supportive of the free speech principles of this nation.
10th circuit covers up US attorney misconduct
In 2008, Tanya J. Treadway, a federal prosecutor, asked the judge in the Schneiders’ case to prohibit Ms. Reynolds, who is not a lawyer and had no formal role in the case, from making “extrajudicial statements.” In the vernacular, Ms. Treadway asked for a gag order.
Judge Monti L. Belot of Federal District Court in Wichita denied that request, saying Ms. Treadway was seeking an unconstitutional prior restraint on speech.
Then Ms. Treadway tried another tack. She issued a sprawling grand jury subpoena to Ms. Reynolds.
It had almost 100 subparts and sought documents, e-mails, phone records, checks, bank records, credit card receipts, photographs, videos and “Facebook communications (including messages and wall posts)” concerning contacts with dozens of people, including doctors and lawyers, along with information about a billboard supporting the Schneiders and a documentary film called, perhaps presciently, “The Chilling Effect.”
In a very unflattering story of the United States attorney’s office in Kansas, which has very seriously overreacted to a public defense of doctors who prescribe pain medication, the 10th circuit court of appeals has sealed proceedings and several amici briefs from groups supportive of the free speech principles of this nation.
10th circuit covers up US attorney misconduct
In 2008, Tanya J. Treadway, a federal prosecutor, asked the judge in the Schneiders’ case to prohibit Ms. Reynolds, who is not a lawyer and had no formal role in the case, from making “extrajudicial statements.” In the vernacular, Ms. Treadway asked for a gag order.
Judge Monti L. Belot of Federal District Court in Wichita denied that request, saying Ms. Treadway was seeking an unconstitutional prior restraint on speech.
Then Ms. Treadway tried another tack. She issued a sprawling grand jury subpoena to Ms. Reynolds.
It had almost 100 subparts and sought documents, e-mails, phone records, checks, bank records, credit card receipts, photographs, videos and “Facebook communications (including messages and wall posts)” concerning contacts with dozens of people, including doctors and lawyers, along with information about a billboard supporting the Schneiders and a documentary film called, perhaps presciently, “The Chilling Effect.”