Pa.'s Right to Know Law and Sunshine Act to be focus of public affairs television show

(Harrisburg, Pa.) - Craig Staudenmaier, a partner in the Harrisburg law firm Nauman, Smith, Shissler and Hall, will appear on WITF's SMART TALK, at 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 23, 2006 as part of a panel discussion on Pennsylvania's Right to Know Law and Sunshine Act.

Staudenmaier, an experienced media law attorney, currently represents The Patriot-News of Harrisburg in the case to obtain the salaries of several Penn State University officials, including head football coach Joe Paterno.

"All journalists need to be aware of the current status and potential problems with the Sunshine and Right to Know laws," Staudenmaier warned. "I look forward to joining my fellow panelists in clarifying the process to obtain public records and the laws affiliated with official actions taken by public agencies."

The Right to Know Law and the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act form the legal basis for citizen access to knowledge regarding the activities of governmental agencies. Pennsylvania enacted the Right to Know Law in 1957 to address access to public records. The Pennsylvania Sunshine Act requires all public agencies to have all official actions and deliberations leading up to official actions occur at public meetings.

Hosted by Nell McCormack Abom, SMART TALK is Central Pennsylvania's only weekly prime-time public affairs television show. SMART TALK is a live, "call-in," show that welcomes phone calls from viewers. Joining Staudenmaier on the panel for the March 23 broadcast will be Susan Schwartz, Pennsylvania Sunshine chair for the Society of Professional Journalists; Judge Robert Graci, former Pennsylvania superior court judge and deputy attorney general, who now works for a private law firm; Holly Fishel, the director of research and policy development for the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors; Pete DeCoursey, Capitol bureau chief for Capitolwire; and Damon Boughamer, Pennsylvania Public Radio News.

A member of the firm since 1981, Staudenmaier's practice concentrates in print and broadcast media cases addressing access issues, subpoena of reporters, privacy issues and defamation claims. He has handled diverse cases such as the Penn State salary case and York Daily Record v. City of York.

An honors graduate of Washington and Jefferson College, Staudenmaier received his Juris Doctor degree from the Dickinson School of Law. Staudenmaier is a lecturer for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute and the Pennsylvania Society of Newspaper Editors.

Staudenmaier is admitted to the U.S. District Court for the Middle and Eastern Districts of Pennsylvania, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court. A member of the Dauphin County and Pennsylvania Bar Associations, he is a member of the bankruptcy section, business law and civil litigation section, respectively. Staudenmaier is an affiliate member of the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association.

Founded in 1871, Nauman Smith is the oldest law firm in continuous existence in Harrisburg. For information visit the Nauman Smith web site at www.nssh.com. For more information regarding this news release, please contact Nathan Pigott at (717) 975-2148 or visit www.hersheyphilbin.com.