Q&A: Court-ordered medical exam

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From The Press-Dispatch (Petersburg):

Q: Two court-ordered medical examinations of a defendant charged with murder have been completed and filed with the court. Can the newspaper get a copy of these competency reports?

A: The Indiana Supreme Court’s Administrative Rule 9, which governs access to court records, states that medical records are confidential unless the judge rules them to be an essential aspect of the case.

The newspaper can request access. That’s when you find out whether the judge has issued a ruling on the importance of the documents to the trial.

Contact Steve Key, HSPA executive director and general counsel, with media law questions at skey@hspa.com or (317) 624-4427.