Finding that there is no First Amendment Right to instantaneous access to newly filed civil complaints and applying the flexible standard of scrutiny to the content-neutral rules promulgated by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court “are designed to support and promote public access, while balancing privacy concerns and the court’s interests in orderly and efficient administration.” Those rules contain appropriate time, place, and manner restrictions ‘narrowly tailored to serve significant governmental interest’ and leave ‘open ample alternative channels for communication of the information.’ that do not offend the First Amendment.
For the reasons stated in a 41 page Order, federal district judge Nancy Torrensen granted the Maine Court System’s Motions to Dismiss and Denied the Media’s request for a preliminary injunction related to court record access.
The full Order may be read here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ERaBcA9dp2c1IRJsRfpCuIb5BS6lV98I/view?usp=sharing