Fourth circuit requires disclosure of documents from Earl Washington case

In Virginia Department of State Police v. Earl Washington, the Fourth Circuit, in an opinion by Judge Shedd, joined by Judge Widener and Senior Judge Hansen from the Eighth Circuit, held that Judge Moon of the W.D. Va. ruled correctly (for the most part) in ordering the unsealing of documents produced by the Virginia State Police pursuant to a subpoena as part of Earl Washington's civil case.

So, this appeal was mainly a contest between non-parties, the State Police and the newspapers - the Virginian-Pilot, the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and the Washington Post. Peter Neufeld argued the case for Earl Washington.