News coalition filed a motion to unseal records in Kristin Smart case. What comes next?
A Monterey County judge will hear a motion to unseal records in the Kristin Smart case filed by The Tribune, ABC News, the Associated Press and the Los Angeles Times, court officials confirmed Tuesday.
Chris Ruhl, Monterey County Superior Court executive officer, told the Tribune via email that the hearing has been set for August 4 at 3 p.m. A formal notice to the news coalition is expected shortly, he said.
It is unclear if and when oppositions will be filed by the defense or prosecution.
Paul Flores has been charged with killing Smart, a Cal Poly student who disappeared after an on-campus party in May 1996. His father, Ruben Flores, is accused of helping hide Smart’s body after the fact. The two men were arrested in April 2021.
San Luis Obispo Superior Court Judge Craig van Rooyen moved their trial to Monterey County Superior Court, citing pretrial publicity.
The news media coalition, formed by the Tribune, filed a motion on July 14 to both unseal records and allow remote online access to them.
Between April 20, when the Smart case moved to Salinas, and July 5, the last day the Tribune was physically in the Salinas courthouse prior to the motion’s filing, only about 12% of court filings that do not pertain to media access are public.
Out of a total of 243 records, 166 are sealed.
The coalition is asking the court to unseal all records filed in the case on or after April 20, to provide required context to their online register of actions and to find the case “extraordinary,” which would make records available online.
“Openness in and press coverage of criminal court records and proceedings empowers the public to debate, evaluate, and politically supervise the work of law enforcement and the judicial branch in an informed manner,” Aaron Field, counsel for the coalition, wrote in the motion. “No party has demonstrated that any sealing is justified in this case.”
Opening statements in the trial against Paul and Ruben Flores began Monday and are expected to finish Thursday, followed by presentation of evidence.
The trial is expected to last until October.
This story was originally published July 19, 2022 at 6:14 PM with the headline "News coalition filed a motion to unseal records in Kristin Smart case. What comes next?."
