Amanda Martin Quoted on NC Crime Victims’ Privacy

WRAL reports that the North Carolina Department of Public Safety recently took down a website that included the personal information of crime victims, including rape victims, who had applied for financial assistance from the state.

According to the article, the Crime Victims Compensation Commission also openly discussed cases using victim’s names and personal details during open meetings. DPS Communications Director Pamela Walker stated that media groups present at such meetings “should have been given clear instruction that the person’s name does not need to be publicized.”

Amanda Martin, an SMVT partner, was quoted:

When a public body conducts a meeting in open session, they cannot put limits on what will be published or broadcast by the media … A public body should strive to do as much of its work in an open session as possible. I applaud the commission for trying to permit the public access to see how they operate, but it’s their obligation to do so in a way that’s compliant with the law.

To read the entire article, click here.