Judicial Misconduct Of The United States District Court Of Rhode Island

The United States District Court Of Rhode Island Has Issues Of Unnecessary Secrecy

Complaint One:  This court historically has been unusually restrictive when it comes to the filing of material like pre-trial discovery in the record for public access.   Also, Rhode Island is the only district in the First Circuit that has the practice of lawyers filing all memoranda of law only with the judge assigned to the case, with no copy being put in the court file.  US District Judge Richard P. Matsch who heard the McVeigh case said regarding too much secrecy in that case,

"The crucial prophylactic aspects of the administration of justice cannot function in the dark; no community catharsis can occur if justice is 'done in a corner [or] in any covert manner."  He also ruled that no documents could automatically be sealed in the McVeigh case.