A Montana judge rejected a request from six media organizations to unseal documents in the murder case against Michael Brown, accused of killing four people at The Owl Bar in Anaconda last summer. The victims were Nancy Lauretta Kelley, Daniel Edwin Baillie, David Allen Leach, and Tony Wayne Palm. After the shooting, Brown evaded capture for a week before being apprehended by law enforcement. He faces charges of deliberate homicide, arson, theft, and evading law enforcement.
Initially, District Court Judge Jeffrey Dahood sealed all case documents but unsealed some later upon media requests. The press wanted to unseal all documents to maintain transparency and cited the state Constitution’s right-to-know clause. Dahood denied their request, stating they lacked the authority to intervene. Some documents remain sealed as requested by Smith, who argued that extensive media coverage could jeopardize an impartial jury.
A media coalition comprising Montana Free Press and various Montana news associations contends the court wrongly sealed documents without allowing press objections. Jim Strauss, president of the Montana Newspaper Association, stated the motion aims to prevent a precedent of sealed documents. John Adams, executive director of Montana Free Press, emphasized the importance of transparency, stating, “If court records can be sealed wholesale without notice, that affects every newsroom and Montanan.”
The case raises questions about Montana’s transparency laws and their implications for open courts and public access to information. A psychological evaluation has postponed Brown’s trial until March. Neither Smith nor Brown’s public defenders commented on the motion.
—
Read More Montana News
