News Outlet Files Motion to Open Garlock Asbestos Bankruptcy Estimation Trial to Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. –– A North Carolina bankruptcy court’s decision to close a portion of an estimation trial to the public has drawn opposition from at least one news outlet, which contends that the action runs afoul of the First Amendment.

On July 23, the judge overseeing the proceedings in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of North Carolina denied Garlock Sealing Technologies’ attempts to remove confidentiality designations for asbestos trust claim details, which the asbestos defendant claimed was “an issue of major public concern.”

Garlock’s request came during an ongoing estimation trial that began July 22. The …