Georgia legislation would restrict release of court evidence displaying child porn
The George Senate voted Wednesday to prohibit the release of child porn used as courtroom evidence. The legislation was proposed after a prosecutor released copies of a videotape showing a suspect engaging in sex acts with two underage girls. The legislation would allow anyone to inspect the porn but not get a copy. An interesting FOI situation, perhaps similar to providing "copies" of illegal contraband used as evidence in trials. For example, a court would be unlikely to provide copies of a bale of marijuana or a murder weapon to be released to the public. By providing journalists and citizens the right to look at the porn, which is illegal unprotected speech, this ensures we still have a checking function on the courts. And I'm not sure a journalist would want to possess or have a copy of child porn sitting around on his or her office desk, even if it were released as official evidence in a trial. See
story.