Washington: State ruling affirms easier sealing of juvenile-court records

A sweeping decision by a majority of justices on the Washington state Supreme Court on Thursday will allow for the automatic sealing of tens of thousands of state juvenile-court records without public challenge or judicial review.

Justice Mary Yu, the opinion’s author, was joined by six other justices in upholding a decision out of King County Juvenile Court sealing the criminal record of a youth identified as “S.J.C.” Yu rejected arguments by open-records and media attorneys that access to the records was guaranteed by the state constitution.  Continue>>>

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