Judge orders Boulder DA to show why Ramsey indictment should remain secret

From the (Boulder) Daily Camera:  A judge hearing the lawsuit filed by a Daily Camera reporter seeking the release of the JonBenet Ramsey grand jury’s secret indictment today ruled that Boulder County District Attorney Stan Garnett must show cause as to why the document should be kept secret.

Camera reporter Charlie Brennan and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press filed the lawsuit in Boulder District Court, citing the Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act in an effort to compel Garnett to release the un-prosecuted indictment of John and Patsy Ramsey in their 6-year-old daughter’s death.

The Camera is not a plaintiff, but supports the lawsuit.

The district attorney’s office and attorneys for Brennan and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press presented initial arguments before retired Weld County Judge Robert Lowenbach on Oct. 11.

Lowenbach ruled today that releasing the requested document would not be a breach of secrecy.

“The court concludes that the secrecy required in the grand jury process… is not compromised through a process that requires the presentment of the indictment in open court,” Lowenbach wrote. “Under this procedure, there is no breach of the secrecy and confidentiality expected in grand jury proceedings.

Visit the Daily Camera for more.

Subscribe to Our Blog

Loading