Published by the Office of the Federal Register, national Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The Federal Register is the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of Federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other presidential documents. It is updated daily by 6 a.m. and is published Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. FDsys contains Federal Register volumes from 59 (1994) to the present.
Unless a record is sealed by the courts or statutes, all records are open to the public and may be viewed and copied at the Circuit Clerks office in the county it was filed.
The following are access to court records cases that the Craven Law Office actively participated in.
In re Gee - Newspapers petitioned to intervene and gain access to a sealed search warrant file in prosecution for the murder of a family. The circuit court granted petitions to interven and granted in part the petitions to gain access to search warrant file. The Appellate Court held that presumption of public access did not attach to sealed search warrant file.
People v. Pelo - Newspaper filed petition to intervene and gain access to an evidence deposition in a criminal case. The circuit court denied access. The Appellate Court held that the newspaper was authorized to intervene in criminal prosecution and file interlocutory appeal challenging the order denying access to evidence depostition and there was no right of public access to unedited evidence deposition, which had not been submitted into evidence and had not been played in open court.
U.S. v. Ladd - Press organization petitioned to intervene in criminal proceeding in which defendant was charged with defrauding the Illinois Department of Public Aid. Press organization petitioned for th erelease of records and objected to Governor of Illinois giving his testimony on vidoetape and in camera. The petitions were denied and objections were overruled by the United States District Court for the Central District. The Court of Appeals reversed and remanded. On remand, the District Court denied objections to redacted documents which kept under seal the names of unindicted coconspirators. The Court of Appeals held that names of unindicted coconspirators whose hearsay statements were considered as evidence during trial were subject to disclosure to the public.
Wayne County Press, Inc. v. Isle - Newspaper sued seeking to compel court clerk to disclose or give newspaper publisher access to complete applications for marriage licenses. The circuit court denied the newpapers request. The Appellate Court held that the circuit court improperly shifted the burden of proof to the newspaper to prove that no exemption for disclosure applied.