Second Circuit Affirms First Amendment Right Of Access To Juvenile Prosecutions

In Hartford Courant Co. v. Carroll,¹ the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit recently affirmed a district court's decision to grant a motion for a preliminary injunction prohibiting the enforcement of certain provisions of a Connecticut law mandating the automatic sealing of all judicial records and the closure of all court proceedings for criminal prosecutions involving defendants who were between 15 and 17 years old at the time of the alleged offense. The Second Circuit concluded that the Connecticut law was not narrowly tailored to achieve a compelling governmental interest and violated the First Amendment right of access to criminal prosecutions of juvenile defendants tried as adults. The decision underscores the emphasis courts place on open access to court proceedings.