Borden Acts to Open Up Judiciary

Acting Chief Justice David Borden has approved nearly all of the recommendations of the Public Access Task Force, and will implement some of its suggestions, including putting information about daily docket schedules, criminal convictions and attendance records of judges online, right away. The rest have to wait either for the General Assembly to act, or for approval from the state's judges.

Borden said he approved other recommendations in the report, but is unable to implement them without a vote of all the state's judges, while others will require action by the Rules Committee of the Superior Court before it goes to a vote of all the judges.

Some of these recommendations include public access to police reports used to determine probable cause in criminal matters, a recommendation to rescind a rule that seals financial affidavits in uncontested divorce cases, expansion of television coverage of both the Supreme and Appellate Courts, and a pilot program to allowed expanded coverage of criminal proceedings. (Stuart)

It may be difficult to get the judges to approve of the new rules. Some are saying that a constitutional amendment may be necessary if the judiciary can't adopt the rules themselves. Borden himself opposes such an amendment.

Still, it's good to see someone in the judiciary as committed to reform as Borden obviously is. Hopefully he'll be able to use the time he has left as acting chief justice, should he not be nominated for the position permanently, to open the courts up as much as possible.

Source
Stuart, Christine. "Chief Justice Approves Most Recommendations. CT News Junkie 28 September, 2006.