Coroner records
Opinion: Keep records open
November 28, 2010 |
Gov. Ed Rendell should veto legislation that
allows Pennsylvania’s coroners to deny the public
and the media access to records. Read
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Opinion: Unacceptable degree of secrecy from Pa. coroners
November 27, 2010 |
We find it interesting -- and somewhat darkly
humorous -- that Pennsylvania's coroners seem a
bit confused as to the nature of their mandate.
Given their endless talk of safeguarding the
feelings of bereaved families, it's almost like
they wanted to be psychologists, instead of
doctors, before settling for the most influential
medical career that doesn't require a medical
degree or professional standards of conduct.
Read
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Opinion: Rendell should protect public right to know, veto bill on coroner records
November 26, 2010 |
Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell signed 22 bills into
law Tuesday, but left at least one critical piece
of legislation untouched for more review — a bill
that essentially turns coroners’ reports into
state secrets, allowing the release only of
minimal information, such as names and causes of
death. Read
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Opinion: Access denied? Carbone, Crawford, Laughman, Gladden -- their names reveal why coroner's info is a must
November 26, 2010 |
Pennsylvania is on the verge of taking a big step
backward when it comes to transparency and
openness. On the last day of its lame-duck
session, the General Assembly voted to approve
changes to the County Code that would eliminate
access to virtually all information produced by
coroners. Read
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Opinion: Threat of secrecy: Pa. coroners' records must stay public
November 24, 2010 |
Just before legislators ended their lame-duck
session, they slammed the door on public access
to records of a key law enforcement officer:
Pennsylvania's county coroners. Gov. Ed Rendell
needs to pull out his veto pen to keep the change
from becoming law. Read
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Opinion: No immediate access to coroner information under RTKL
November 17, 2010 |
On November 16, 2010, a three-judge panel of the
Commonwealth Court held that the Right-to-Know
Law (RTKL) does not provide immediate access to
the name of a deceased and the manner of death.
Hearst Television, Inc. et al. v. Norris et al.,
95 C.D. 2010. Read
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Opinion: Coroner rulings are a matter of public record
March 02, 2010 |
Just over a year old, Pennsylvania's Right to
Know Law remains a work in progress. That fact is
clearly evident through a court case brought by
our colleagues at WGAL-TV. In what should be a
clear-cut situation, the television station has
been forced to go to the Commonwealth Court in an
effort to determine not if a record is public -
on that point everyone agrees - but when it
should be released.
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Dad seeks to block report in son's death
February 17, 2010 |
A new legal battle could be brewing over a
Shippensburg University student's death that
already has prompted a court duel over the
state's Right to Know Law. Read
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