Ongoing confidential dispute over Murdoch succession continues to be shielded, as judge dismisses plea from press for involvement
A group of news outlets, such as CNN, The New York Times, NPR, and ABC, among others, requested the court to uncover a case regarding the Murdoch family's trust and grant access. However, the judge dismissed this petition due to the high level of privacy in Nevada courts when it comes to family trust matters.
Even though there's an ongoing dispute within the Murdoch family over the control of their enterprises, as the patriarch is 93, all parties approved the seclusion of the case.
This specific court setting provides exceptional privacy, enabling parties and judges to keep cases hidden from public view to an extent that they are not even listed on court calendars. It was only when The New York Times unveiled the case in July that it gained some attention. The case, now visible on court documents, is simply labeled as "The Matter of the Doe 1 Trust, PR23-00813".
In their legal statements, the family's attorneys argued that opening up the case would expose confidential information related to Murdoch's businesses, including Fox News, a right-leaning cable network, and The Wall Street Journal. Moreover, it could potentially endanger Murdoch's personal safety.
The judge concurred, indicating that "a family trust, even when it's a shareholder in public companies, is a private legal arrangement, as the sealing statutes acknowledge."
The judge addressed the request by allowing some documents related to the case to be disclosed publicly. Additionally, details regarding the judge and the attorneys involved are accessible to the public. The rest of the case, scheduled to commence next week with the Murdoch family in attendance, will remain concealed.
Despite the media's interest in the Murdoch family's affairs, the extreme privacy in business and family trust matters in Nevada courts prevented widespread coverage of the case. In light of this, various media outlets, including business publications, saw an opportunity to report on the potential impact of the case on Murdoch's corporations, such as Fox News and The Wall Street Journal.
