A Huge Victory in Libby Case...

A huge victory for openness in the Libby trial. This was a courageous decision, even if it was a slam-dunk legally.

From Editor & Publisher:

News organizations praised a judge's decision Monday to release tapes of former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter'' Libby's grand jury testimony, saying it would open a window into court proceedings.

U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton said he would make public the eight-hour recordings, which were played in open court as part of the Libby trial, even though he was worried that jurors could be influenced by outside media buzz.

Federal law supports the public release of evidence presented to a jury. But judges in high-profile cases occasionally have released only written transcripts or have delayed public disclosure until the trial's end.

"This is a victory for the public's right to know,'' said Karen Magnuson, president of the Associated Press Managing Editors and editor of the Democrat and Chronicle newspaper in Rochester, N.Y.