Expungement orders overturned, Pa. newspapers won't be required to remove content
July 7, 2010
PENNSYLVANIA -- Two Centre County judges have overturned
expungement orders directed at The Daily Collegian at Pennsylvania State
University and The Centre Daily Times that would require them to remove
online content from their archives.
This morning, Judge Thomas King Kistler removed the two newspapers from
orders directing them to delete archived stories of county defendants formerly
convicted of criminal charges, according to Patty Hartranft, interim general
manager of The Daily Collegian. Kistler signed two of the five original
orders. Judge Bradley P. Lunsford had signed the other three orders, but vacated
the provisions including the newspapers on Tuesday.
"This was a needless case," Bob Heisse, executive editor of the
CDT, said. "It was an attorney who just took it upon his office to change
these things and put them past judges. It became a First Amendment case, and it
should never have been that."
Heisse said that more than 40 other expungement orders requiring The
Daily Collegian and the CDT to delete online content were submitted to the
courts by the same law office. Judges say they are on the lookout for these
orders so the appropriate revisions can be made.
"I want to thank the people around the country who have supported
this effort," Heisse said. "There has been a lot of support for
this, and that is very refreshing."
By Sommer Ingram, SPLC staff writer
© 2010 Student Press Law Center
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For More Information:
Pa. judges order newspapers to delete archived online content, News Flash, 7/6/2010
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