Kansans’ right to know about criminal complaints at stake in Linn County case over sealed records

By: Emily Bradbury

Outlets: Kansas Reflector

Published: August 7, 2026

Words: 895

Last Updated: 1 week, 5 days ago

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The First Amendment protects the public’s right of access to criminal complaints filed in court against adult defendants. A law sealing such records is unconstitutional in large part because public access to the criminal complaint “reflects the importance of its role in the criminal trial process and the public’s interest in knowing its contents.”

But in 2025, the Kansas Legislature amended a statute to seal all criminal cases filed in Kansas courts …

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