ANNAPOLIS, Md. — A judge ruled Tuesday to unseal some documents in the case of a man who has pleaded guilty but not criminally responsible to killing five people at a Maryland newspaper, but she declined to make public many records involving his mental health.
The ruling by Judge Laura Ripken came after the Capital Gazette and Baltimore Sun sought the release of a number of records. Scores of other documents were released after Jarrod Ramos pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and other charges in October. The second phase of his trial, when a jury is scheduled to decide whether he is not criminally responsible due to his mental health, is scheduled for March.
Ripken said public access to information in legal proceedings is important, but must be balanced with the defendant’s right to fair trial.
