On September 19, the Alliance joined a brief in United Healthcare v. Eighth Judicial District Court of the State of Nevada, filed in the Nevada Supreme Court. The case involves access to trial exhibits and transcripts following a high-profile trial and jury verdict against United Healthcare Insurance Company for underpaying out-of-network medical providers. Post-trial, United Healthcare sought to seal or redact many of the trial exhibits and transcript from the trial – records that had been introduced in open court and entered into the public record. The trial court denied the sealing request and United Healthcare appealed. The brief, filed by RCFP, argues that the Nevada Supreme Court should affirm the lower court’s decision, as there is a presumptive right of access to court records, and this cannot be overcome when those records have already been made public at trial. The case is important in preserving the right to access court records by journalists and the public. Read more.
Charlotte McBirney is Senior Counsel and Director, Public Policy for the News/Media Alliance.
