Appeals Court Rules Against Sealing Transcripts in CoreCivic Lawsuit - Articles

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Appeals Court Rules Against Sealing Transcripts in CoreCivic Lawsuit

Posted by: Azya Thornton on Apr 18, 2025

A three-judge panel of the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a lower court erred in sealing dozens of deposition transcripts related to a lawsuit against CoreCivic, the private company that operates several prisons in Tennessee. The Nashville Banner had challenged the 2021 decision to seal the documents after the company entered into a $56 million settlement over a class-action lawsuit alleging it misrepresented the condition of its prisons. Thursday’s ruling found “no findings whatsoever” to justify sealing the transcripts. “Part of our job as journalists is to fight for open courts so the public can make their own decisions about what happens in them,” said Steve Cavendish, editor of the Banner. The appellate court gave the district court 60 days to review the transcripts and decide if any should remain sealed.