CNN: Judge's ruling could reveal Gitmo secrets in late July

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Judge's ruling could reveal Gitmo secrets in late July

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. government cannot collectively seal its records in more than 100 cases involving the indefinite detention of suspects held at the Guantanamo Bay facility in Cuba, a federal judge ruled Monday.


A detainee walks inside an open-air yard at the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on May 31, 2009.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/06/02/guantanamo.detainees.records/index.html

The ruling in favor of detainees and news media outlets means some judicial records in the cases involving Guantanamo detainees could become public on July 29, a deadline set by Monday's ruling.

The government had tried to designate all of its responses in cases seeking indefinite detention -- whether classified or not -- as protected from public disclosure.

In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Thomas F. Hogan said the government request was too broad.

"The government's motion attempts to usurp the court's discretion to seal judicial records," the ruling said.

"Moreover, the public has a limited First Amendment and common law right to access the factual returns," it added, referring to documents filed in response to habeas corpus petitions.

While denying the government motion, the ruling gives the government until July 29 to determine what information in the factual returns is classified and therefore can be protected from disclosure.

"Today's decision is a victory for transparency," said Jonathan Hafetz, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union's National Security Project.

[Political Heretic]

1. It's too bad I have to cheer a decision that the government wasn't in favor of.

But I cheer nonetheless.

I supposed I should be anticipating and Obama administration appeal, given their current court track record. But I'm hoping not.