Records in Fairfax double homicide must be released, judge orders

A Fairfax County judge ruled Friday that court filings and evidence introduced in a sprawling double-slaying case must be open to the public, denying requests from prosecutors and the defendant’s attorney to keep them secret.

Fairfax Circuit Judge Brett A. Kassabian ruled in favor of The Washington Post and the Associated Press, which requested the release of the material, arguing that court records are presumed to be public under the First Amendment and Virginia law and that secrecy was not justified. Prosecutors and the public defender’s office had argued that the release of the records could jeopardize the integrity of the proceedings.