Removing a Witness's Name from a Court of Appeals Decision
by: Ryan • September 23, 2011 • no comments
It's not unusual that a Court of Appeals or Supreme Court decision will give details about a case which can be embarrassing. But this embarrassment isn't limited to defendants. Often, witnesses or victims will be described doing things that they themselves aren't proud of. Or perhaps the defendant's spouse is named in a case that - even if the spouse's behavior is beyond reproach - she would rather people didn't come across when they Google her. And it's not just a matter of embarrassment; there can be implications for employment, housing, etc.
The named person is not without a remedy. Oregon appellate courts have adopted non-exclusive criteria for removing a name from the court decisions on the Judicial Department's web site. The criteria for doing so can be found here.