Globe Newspaper Co. v. Superior Court for the County of Norfolk
Significance, The Right To Privacy Vs. The Public's Right To Know, Protecting Minors From Trauma
Appellant
Globe Newspaper Company
Appellee
Superior Court for the County of Norfolk, Massachusetts
Appellant's Claim
That it had the right to attend the rape trial in which the three witnesses claiming to be raped were 16 and 17 years old, despite a Massachusetts state law mandating that all sex-crime trials involving victims under 18 be closed to the public.
Chief Lawyer for Appellant
James F. McHugh
Chief Lawyer for Appellee
Mitchell J. Sikora, Jr., Assistant Attorney General of Massachusetts
Justices for the Court
Harry A. Blackmun, William J. Brennan, Jr. (writing for the Court), Thurgood Marshall, Sandra Day O'Connor, Lewis F. Powell, Jr., Byron R. White
Justices Dissenting
Warren E. Burger, William H. Rehnquist, John Paul Stevens
Place
Washington, D.C.
Date of Decision
23 June 1982
Decision
The Massachusetts state law was too broadly written and was therefore unconstitutional; although states did have the right to occasionally close trials to the press and the public, the laws permitting such closure had to allow for a case-by-case review rather than summarily closing all trials of a certain type.
Sources
Thomas, Jo. "Change of Venue: Is Impartial Jury Possible?," Minneapolis Star Tribune, 23 February 1996, p. 8A.
Additional topics
- Goldman v. Weinberger - Significance, The Government's Interest In Defense, A Passionate Dissent, Impact
- Garcia v. San Antonio Metropolitan Transit Authority - Background To Dispute, Case Goes To The U.s. Supreme Court, Four Justices Dissent
- Globe Newspaper Co. v. Superior Court for the County of Norfolk - Further Readings
- Globe Newspaper Co. v. Superior Court for the County of Norfolk - Significance
- Globe Newspaper Co. v. Superior Court for the County of Norfolk - The Right To Privacy Vs. The Public's Right To Know
- Globe Newspaper Co. v. Superior Court for the County of Norfolk - Protecting Minors From Trauma
- Globe Newspaper Co. v. Superior Court for the County of Norfolk - An Informed Discussion Of Governmental Affairs
- Globe Newspaper Co. v. Superior Court for the County of Norfolk - The Consequences Of The Globe Decision
- Globe Newspaper Co. v. Superior Court for the County of Norfolk - Related Cases
- Globe Newspaper Co. v. Superior Court for the County of Norfolk - Was The Change Of Venue Justified?
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