Preview:

Office of the State Prosecutor v. Judicial Watch, Inc. No. 9, September Term, 1999 HEADNOTE:

INTERLOCUTORY APPEAL; PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT; GRAND JURY PROCEEDINGS Circuit court order pursuant to the State's Public Information Act to disclose information from grand jury proceedings was an injunction and therefore immediately appealable. GRAND JURY PROCEEDINGS; VENUE Under Maryland Rule 4-642, Circuit court had no authority to require disclosure of information in grand jury proceedings conducted outside of the county.

Circuit Court for Baltimore County Case No. 03-C-98-007868

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF MARYLAND NO. 9 SEPTEMBER TERM, 1999

OFFICE OF THE STATE PROSECUTOR

v. JUDICIAL WATCH, INC.

Bell, C. J. Eldridge Rodowsky Raker Wilner Cathell, Karwacki, Robert L. (Retired, specially assigned) JJ.

Opinion by Bell, C. J.

FILED: September 21, 1999

In this case, we are called upon to determine whether the Circuit Court for Baltimore County erred by ordering the State Prosecutor to submit a "Vaughn"1 index of documents, requested pursuant to the Maryland Public Information Act, where those documents are related to an ongoing investigation being conducted by a grand jury convened by another circuit court. We shall hold that it did and, therefore, reverse the judgment ordering the disclosure. I. In February 1998, at the request of the State's Attorney for Howard County pursuant to Maryland Code (1957, 1995 Repl. Vol., 1997 Supp.)

Download State Prosecutor v. Judicial Watch.pdf

Maryland Law