In re: 38 Studios Grand Jury

Four organizations have submitted a “friend of the court” brief in the RI Supreme Court in support of Governor Gina Raimondo’s appeal for the release of the grand jury records in the 38 Studios proceedings.  The organizations are the ACLU of RI, the RI Press Association, the New England First Amendment Coalition and Common Cause RI. The brief, submitted by ACLU cooperating attorneys and RWU Law School professors Jared A. Goldstein and Andrew Horwitz, argues that, in the case of 38 Studios, “the fundamental right of the people to know about the operations of their government” far outweighs any standards generally barring disclosure of grand jury proceedings.

Below are statements issued by the ACLU of RI today in response to Superior Court Presiding Justice Alice Gibney’s decision rejecting Governor Gina Raimondo’s petition for the release of grand jury records relating to the 38 Studios investigation:

The ACLU of Rhode Island today filed a "friend of the court" brief in R.I. Superior Court in support of Governor Gina Raimondo's petition to have the court release the grand jury records of the 38 Studios investigation.

Highlighting the “extraordinarily strong public interest” in the investigation of the 38 Studios scandal and calling “less than compelling” the arguments offered for keeping the records of that investigation secret, five open government groups today called on Attorney General Peter Kilmartin and State Police Superintendent Steven O’Donnell to release those documents to the public.

In light of the release of the depositions in the 38 Studios case, it is important to remember that "pleading the fifth" is a fundamental right that protects us all and supports a fair system of justice. As the U.S. Supreme Court eloquently explained over 50 years ago: