Vt. Court Backs Dean Sealing Some Papers

[NVMojo]

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - Howard Dean's decision to seal some of his gubernatorial papers for a decade was legal, the state Supreme Court ruled Friday.

The ruling overturned a finding by a state trial judge last year that neither Dean nor the secretary of state had the authority to seal the documents.

Dean and the secretary of state agreed when Dean left office in 2003 to seal until 2013 roughly 93 boxes of papers that he considered sensitive.

Past Vermont governors had sealed portions of their papers, though for not as long.

more...

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nat-gen/2005/nov/04/110407224.html

[Judi Lynn]

1. Vt. Court Backs Dean Sealing Some Papers

Vt. Court Backs Dean Sealing Some Papers
Vermont High Court Backs Former Gov. Howard Dean on His Decision to Seal Some Gubernatorial Papers
By DAVID GRAM Association Press Writer
The Associated Press

MONTPELIER, Vt. Nov 4, 2005 — Howard Dean's decision to seal some of his gubernatorial papers for a decade was legal, the state Supreme Court ruled Friday.

The ruling overturned a finding by a state trial judge last year that neither Dean nor the secretary of state had the authority to seal the documents.

Dean and the secretary of state agreed when Dean left office in 2003 to seal until 2013 roughly 93 boxes of papers that he considered sensitive.
Past Vermont governors had sealed portions of their papers, though for not as long.

"We didn't want anything embarrassing appearing in the papers at a critical time in any future endeavor," Dean told reporters at the time.
(snip/...)

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1281539



:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

[Carolab]

2. YEEE-AAAAAA-RRRRRRR-GGGGGG-HHHHHHHH!!!!!

Dean is ALWAYS right!!!!!

[TaleWgnDg]

3. Well? I agree w/ Howard Dean and the VtSupCt's decision.

.
Well? I agreed, legally, with Howard Dean when he initially sealed these documents; and I agree w/ Howard Dean and the Vermont Supreme Court (VSC) decision of today. It's good law, period.

Why the hell shouldn't a departing Governor be able to seal some of his correspondence upon leaving office? Think about it. Would you want your correspondence made public if you wrote a letter to a sitting Governor? Think about some people who bare their souls asking for help of a high ranking official such as a Governor, or other similar examples. Would you hesitate to write correspondence or other documents to a sitting Governor if you knew all would be publicized upon that Governor's departure from office? Wouldn't that chill you from writing to a Governor or signing anything? Of course it would.

It's not like the correspondence remains sealed forever, for it does not. It's temporary. It's just so that the correspondence will not be publicized and sensationalized by mongering news media out to make money from another's misery or personal information. Time cools all heels. Time places a different light on issues particularly personal issues. Indeed. That's what the Vermont law to seal such documents is all about . . . so WTF is the beef?

Yup. Vermont Supreme Court (VSC) made a just and fair interpretation of Vermont law in this matter. No question about it.

As for the idiots who wanted to *tell all* no mater who was injured in doing so . . . is/are the plaintiff in this case seeking to unseal ex-Governor Howard Dean's correspondence when Dean was running for president, the none-other-than the self-declared "Judicial Watch, Inc., a self-described 'watchdog' organization based in Washington, D.C." (quoting VSC's decision).

Judicial Watch, Inc. are idiots. Plain and simple. Once again they reared their head trying to make muck where none was to be made, all for publicity and money. Didn't America get enough of these jackasses while they were blissfully chanting about Monica's stained blue dress? Or during Bush v. Gore?

Instead of relying upon second-hand information through newspapers or television talking-heads, try getting the actual and factually correct information from the Vermont Supreme Court's decision, here (Vermont Supreme Court official website, Judicial Watch, Inc. v. State of Vermont, Deborah L. Markowitz (as Secretary of State), Gregory Sanford (as State Archivist), and Howard Dean, M.D., (as Former Governor), (Vermont Supreme Court, #2004-209, November 4, 2005))

_______________________________

edited to add: Hahahahaha, did you see where those Judicial Watch, Inc. idiots were trying to stick the State of Vermont for copying costs to the tune of $187,650.00? It's true. Can you imagine yourself walking into a government office and requesting copies of documents but not forking over the money to pay for such copies out of your own pocket? Judical Watch, Inc. is scum. Of course, now that the Vermont Supreme Court has denied access to ex-Governor Dean's correspondence, the State of Vermont will not be sustaining copying costs!

If you are having trouble pulling up that Vermont Supreme Court case; please go here http://dol.state.vt.us/GOPHER_ROOT3/000000/SUPCT/UTL/LIST.HTML , then look for the hyperlink to "Judicial Watch, Inc. v. State (2004-209) (04-Nov-2005)"
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[ProudToBeLiberal]

4. I forgot about this

Well I guess Dean was right all along