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Judge Denies Southern Montana Electric's Motion to Keep Documents Sealed

By KFBB News Team

Story Created: Mar 15, 2010 at 12:28 PM MST

Story Updated: Mar 16, 2010 at 9:04 AM MST

This afternoon, a Montana judge denied Southern Montana Electric's motion to keep documents secret. Read The Court Documents Here Last Tuesday, Judge E. Wayne Phillips ruled that all but six pages of those many documents are to be open to the public. The Montana Environmental Information Center filed suit against SME, stating that it the public had a right to know what was in those documents, since SME was working with the City of Great Falls to build a power plant east of Great Falls. SME though filed an appeal, arguing those documents still should not be released, because they contain trade secrets. Today, Judge Phillips denied there were trade secrets that would cause harm to SME in those documents being released, and that the public had a right to know. In his ruling today, Judge Phillips noted, "The Defendant has not succeeded in sealing even one small foothill let along surmounting the high constitutional peak of the public's right to view the workings of a government, which Lincoln so admirably described as of the people, by the people and for the people. The Motion for Stay is Denied. The Motion for Injunction is Denied."

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