State Supreme Court decision in May could resolve two legal disputes dating back to 2021 involving media access to law enforcement recordings. The court agreed that the state Appeals Court should revisit decisions blocking media access to recordings connected to the shooting death of Andrew Brown and a DUI traffic stop involving Duke basketball players. The Supreme Court ruled in May that media outlets could use a petition to seek access to law enforcement recordings, rather than filing a lawsuit.
The Court of Appeals had ruled against media outlets seeking access to recordings in both cases, stating that the outlets had not followed the correct procedure in seeking access. The ruling in the Brown case upheld a decision from Superior Court Judge Jerry Tillett, while the ruling in the Duke basketball case was based on a precedent set in the Brown case.
The media outlets involved, including national outlets like CNN and the New York Times, had been seeking access to the recordings for several months following the incidents. The Supreme Court is now calling on appellate judges to apply the May ruling to other active disputes over law enforcement recordings.
In the Duke basketball case, former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski’s grandson faced DWI charges following a traffic stop in Orange County. Media outlets filed paperwork seeking access to recordings of the incident, but the Appeals Court ruled against them. The Supreme Court will now have the opportunity to clarify the procedure for accessing law enforcement recordings in these high-profile cases.
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