Thursday, May 06, 2004

All the Way to the Supreme Court! - May 6, 2004


Patriot-News
Copyright (c) 2004 Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved.

Thursday, May 6, 2004


Newspapers' request to get speedy review ; Dickinson Law board meetings at issue

From staff reports

The state Supreme Court has agreed to a speedy review of a request that The Patriot-News and The Sentinel of Carlisle be permitted to appeal a Commonwealth Court decision. Commonwealth Court ruled last month that The Dickinson School of Law board of governors may close its meetings to the public, despite claims by the newspapers that the board is a public entity and should adhere to the state's open-meetings law.

The newspapers have also asked Commonwealth Court to restore a Cumberland County Court order that opened meetings to the public.

The law school's board must respond by tomorrow to the newspapers' Supreme Court request.

Governors board meetings this year and last fall have focused on a proposal to move the school from Carlisle to University Park, the main campus of Penn State, Dickinson's parent institution.

When the schools merged in 1997, officials vowed Dickinson would stay in Carlisle.

However, Penn State President Graham Spanier and law school Dean Philip McConnaughay now contend law students' education would improve if the school was on the Penn State main campus.

A move must be approved by the board, and its talks have drawn interest from local and state government and business leaders.

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