Amanda Martin and Hugh Stevens speak at Investigative Reporters and Editors Conference

On February 25, 2011 SMVT partners Amanda Martin and Hugh Stevens participated in a conference on “Computer Assisted Reporting” sponsored by Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc. (“IRE”). Mr. Stevens joined News & Observer reporter Andy Curliss and IRE General Counsel David Smallman on a panel that discussed “Cracking Open Electronic Records – From Emails to…

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SMVT Partner Amanda Martin Spoke at Festival of Legal Learning

Blogging, posting to social media sites such as Facebook, and scouring online sources for news have become active pastimes for many. In her talk — Social Media, Blogging and the News — Ms. Martin addressed the extent to which the First Amendment protects such practices and what new legal issues arise, including what liability may…

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Sealed Warrants Opened

SMVT partner Amanda Martin represented five media organizations who sought access to more than 40 search warrants that had been sealed in the investigation into the death of Zahra Baker, a disabled 10-year-old girl whose dismembered body was discovered in Caldwell County in December. The warrants revealed important information such as when the young girl…

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SMVT Media Clients File Public Records Suit Against UNC-CH Officials

On October 29, 2010 SMVT attorneys Hugh Stevens, Amanda Martin and Mike Tadych filed a public records suit on behalf of eight of the firm’s media clients against four key officials of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Athletic Director Richard A. Baddour, Head Football Coach “Butch” Davis, Chancellor Holden Thorp, and Director…

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Vance County Superior Court: Motion to Quash Subpoena Seeking the Identities of Anonymous Bloggers

NORTH CAROLINA: VANCE COUNTY: THOMAS S. HESTER, JR., Plaintiff, v. JANE OR JOHN DOE a/k1a “BEAUTIFUL DREAMER” AND/OR “CONFUSED,””FATBOY”. et ai., Defendants. IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION 10-CVS- 361 ORDER Re: MOTION TO QUASH SUBPOENA THIS MATTER came on for hearing before the undersigned Judge of Superior Court on Friday, June…

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Baseball League Strikes Out Against SMVT Partner Hugh Stevens

SMVT partner Hugh Stevens recently defended a Stetson University baseball player, his summer amateur team, and a Virginia non-profit “wood bat” baseball league against a for-profit North Carolina league that sought an order restraining the player from engaging in any organized or unorganized baseball activity. The local league alleged that it suffered irreparable injury after…

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Police Chief Search Proves Importance of Openness

In April, 2001 I used this space to contrast the way the cities of Raleigh and Durham went about choosing their new city managers. I explained then that whereas Raleigh’s city officials cloaked the process in secrecy and played silly cat-and-mouse games with the press and public, “the Durham way involves releasing the names of…

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Judge Butterfield Opens Settlement Documents

Many days, when I sit in court waiting for my case to be called, I am glad I am a lawyer and not a judge. Judges are called upon to exercise the patience of Job and the wisdom of Solomon. I get to vigorously advocate my client’s position and leave the hard choices up to…

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