A court docket case involving harassment claims in opposition to a Lexington councilwoman has been unsealed and is now accessible once more via the Kentucky’s on-line court docket system, Courtnet or KyECourts.
The Lexington-Herald Chief printed a narrative last week questioning why the case was sealed.
Lexington-Fayette City County Councilwoman Denise Grey was awarded a temporary emergency protection order against Councilwoman Brenda Monarrez on Aug. 8.
In her petition, Grey alleges Monarrez was sexually aggressive in the direction of her on two different occasions over three years.
Fayette Circuit Choose Traci Brislin ordered throughout an Aug. 20 hearing Monarrez attend council conferences just about and do business from home till an Oct. 16 listening to, which is able to decide if the safety order will stay in place.
Each ladies can testify at that listening to.
Monarrez has denied the allegations, calling them baseless, vile and politically motivated.
An interpersonal safety order is a civil matter. No legal prices have been filed.
After the Aug. 20 listening to, the case was faraway from Courtnet. The Herald-Chief tried to entry the paper file on the Fayette Circuit Clerk’s workplace on Sept. 18 and was instructed the case was confidential or sealed.
On Saturday, the case reappeared on Courtnet.
On Aug. 21, there’s a notice within the case file that exhibits the case is now confidential. Nonetheless, there was no movement from Grey or Monarrez’s attorneys asking the case be sealed. The notice seems to come back from “judicial employees,” based on the court docket report.
Brislin performed the preliminary listening to on Aug. 20. However the case was initially assigned to District Choose Ross Ewing, based on the court docket report. Brislin’s employees confirmed Monday the case had been unsealed.
Brislin was not instantly accessible for remark.
Michael Abate, a lawyer for the Kentucky Press Affiliation, questioned how the case was sealed. Beneath the regulation, a listening to should be held to find out if a case might be sealed and media needs to be seen, Abate has stated. There was no listening to listed within the court docket report.
On Sept. 20, two days after the Herald-Chief ran a narrative questioning why the case was now not public, there’s an entry within the court docket report displaying the case be returned to the general public docket.
“The Herald-Chief is anxious about what seems to a fast-and-loose coverage associated to secretly sealing after which unsealing this case with out an preliminary listening to,” stated Govt Editor Richard Inexperienced. “Kentucky regulation may be very clear about how the method is meant to work. We are going to proceed to look into this matter and remind these within the courthouse of the regulation of the commonwealth.”
