Reply #55: “It's almost Orwellian double-speak”

[Snazzy]

In the Kontogiannis case, both sides met in secret proceedings on Feb. 21 and 22. There was never any notice of those hearings given, according to documents filed by The Copley Press for the appellate court hearing.

It was not until 4:45 p.m. on Feb. 22 – 15 minutes before the federal courts close – that a notice was posted on the court calendar. It referenced a closed hearing for the next day, Feb. 23 – at 8:15 a.m.

Moreover, the notice was advertised on a court calendar under a different case number and different case title. Effectively, there was no way for the public to know that “In re: Request to Seal Proceedings” had anything to do with Thomas Kontogiannis and his case.

“It's almost Orwellian double-speak,” said Gregg Leslie, the legal defense director for The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. “They say, 'We need secrecy, but the reason we need secrecy is also secret, so we can't tell you.' ”

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http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20070805-9999-1m5secret.html

Almost?