Santa Barbara County attorneys have asked the state Supreme Court not to render moot, a ruling that limited the news media's access to evidence in the Michael Jackson molestation case.
This could have ramifications on the freedom of the press in California.
Attorneys for news organisations have asked the California Supreme Court to "delist" a decision by the state's 2nd District Court of Appeal. Delisting would mean that other courts could not rely on the decision as a legal precedent in other cases.
Santa Barbara County Counsel Stephen Shane Stark said, in a letter released Wednesday:
"The media's insatiable quest for stories that showcase criminal behavior illustrates why this decision is significant and should remain published..While admittedly a Michael Jackson case does not happen very frequently, the media presents for public consumption a new crime story seemingly every day...."
Theodore Boutrous, the news organisations' attorney, said:
"If it's published then it can be cited as precedent...We believe it should serve as very little if any precedent because of the unique facts of the case and the rationale of the court."
The appeals court ruled in April that Judge Rodney Melville was justified in sealing dozens of records in the Jackson trial.
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