JURIST - Paper Chase: Media law brief ~ US Supreme Court withholds release of Foster photos

In Wednesday's media and information law news, as reported yesterday in JURIST's Paper Chase, the US Supreme Court ruled that photos of former deputy White House counsel Vincent Foster Jr.'s body were barred from release due to the privacy interests of his family, today's Washington Post reports. Foster's death in 1993 was reportedly a suicide, but California attorney Allan Favish sought the police photos to confirm this. In its holding, the Court said surviving family members were covered under a provision of the Freedom of Information Act that exempts law enforcement records from release if it would affect privacy. To obtain release of material under the exemption, a person must provide some evidence of government wrongdoing. The Court's opinion can be viewed here. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press expressed some concern in a news release that the new test could interfere with journalists' ability to effectively investigate government wrongdoing. The First Amendment Center offers background and filings from the case here.

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