WSAZ vs. Kanawha County

[Mr. Jones]

Two days after a reporter from WSAZ-TV filed a complaint against Kanawha County Magistrate Tim Halloran for locking his courtroom during a hearing, a WSAZ vehicle was ticketed twice outside the Kanawha County Courthouse Annex at Halloran's request.

Halloran is the apparent subject of an investigation by the state Judicial Investigation Commission after WSAZ-TV News Operations Manager Mike Waterhouse reported that Halloran locked the door while arraigning Charleston Police officer Sean Phillip Patrick, 30, on charges of soliciting sex with a minor.

http://sundaygazettemail.com/News/200903010477

[fearpeddler]

magistrates and judges can reserve the right to keep people out of the courtroom, market leader or not, just cause you're with the "talkin pitcher box" doesnt give you right to go wherever you feel like going. Once again that entitlement issue is rearing its ugly head....

[Lee]

Hmmm...wonder if they let Hallburn in?

[ap news alert]

Actually "fearpeddler" you are wrong. The magistrate has to file paperwork ahead of time and give a valid reason for keeping the public out of the courtroom. In this case, the magistrate was out of line and had no just reason.
There was no sense of "entitlement". The reporter had every right to challenge this magistrate's decision. It's too bad there aren't more journalists out there willing to fight for what they believe in.

[Jay Nunley]

It's also too bad that more journalists aren't Jessica Ralston.

[genlock]

I wonder if the WSAZ reporter made an ass of himself, demanding access.
I have seen their news cars pass stopped traffic on the interstate to get back to
base for the news (or quitting time), leaving all the little people in their dust.

[fearpeddler]

Actually "fearpeddler" you are wrong. The magistrate has to file paperwork ahead of time and give a valid reason for keeping the public out of the courtroom. In this case, the magistrate was out of line and had no just reason.
There was no sense of "entitlement". The reporter had every right to challenge this magistrate's decision. It's too bad there aren't more journalists out there willing to fight for what they believe in.

someone just got mad cause they're not used to being told no... umm yah so that counts as an entitlement issue in my book... lol

[PassiveObserver]

But when one doesn't have the authority to say no, that is abuse of power. The magistrate didn't get written approval to bar the press, and therefore abused his authority.