AP: Thousands of Federal Cases Kept Secret

[norml]

AP: Thousands of Federal Cases Kept Secret

By MICHAEL J. SNIFFEN and JOHN SOLOMON, Associated Press Writers
Sun Mar 5, 6:50 AM ET


WASHINGTON - Despite the Sixth Amendment's guarantee of public trials, nearly all records are being kept secret for more than 5,000 defendants who completed their journey through the federal courts over the last three years. Instances of such secrecy more than doubled from 2003 to 2005.

An Associated Press investigation found, and court observers agree, that most of these defendants are cooperating government witnesses, but the secrecy surrounding their records prevents the public from knowing details of their plea bargains with the government.

Most of these defendants are involved in drug gangs, though lately a very small number come from terrorism cases. Some of these cooperating witnesses are among the most unsavory characters in America's courts — multiple murderers and drug dealers — but the public cannot learn whether their testimony against confederates won them drastically reduced prison sentences or even freedom.

In the nation's capital, which has had a serious problem with drug gangs murdering government witnesses, the secrecy has reached another level — the use of secret dockets. For hundreds of such defendants over the past few years in this city, should someone acquire the actual case number for them and enter it in the U.S. District Court's computerized record system, the computer will falsely reply, "no such case" — rather than acknowledging that it is a sealed case.

At the request of the AP, the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts conducted its first tally of secrecy in federal criminal cases. The nationwide data it provided the AP showed 5,116 defendants whose cases were completed in 2003, 2004 and 2005, but the bulk of their records remain secret.


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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060305/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/secret_justice

[sattahipdeep]

1. Where is Salam Zaeef?

Waziristan?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-5663313,00.html

Although Justice Department does not keep comprehensive nationwide
statistics on secrecy in federal prosecutions, it does track how
often prosecutors ask permission from headquarters to hold a secret
court proceeding, like an arraignment, hearing, trial or sentencing.

The department estimates it got 100 such requests from October 2000
though October 2004, Justice Department spokesman Bryan Sierra said.
Another 100 arrived during the 12 months that ended October 2005, he said.

[Moderator]

2. DUplicate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=2145755