at PA Conference of State Trial Judges in Pittsburgh Saturday

(Harrisburg, PA) -- Nauman Smith Managing Partner and firm Right To Know Practice Group Chairman Craig J. Staudenmaier, Esq., will join Commonwealth Court Judge Robert E. Simpson, Jr., Judge Terrence R. Nealon and President Judge Debbie O'Dell Seneca and PA Newspaper Association General Counsel Teri L. Henning, Esq., in a panel discussion of issues related to the recently enacted Pennsylvania RTK law, which covers public access to government information, at the upcoming Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges Mid-Annual Meeting at the Omni William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh, February 19-22.

Effective since January 1, 2009, the PA RTK law initiates substantial changes in the way individuals and entities will access information from government and public agencies in the future. "Complexities arising out of the new Law will impact government at every level, as well as any entity seeking information from or about any government agency, including the judiciary, in Pennsylvania," Staudenmaier said today. "So, it's useful for state trial judges, who will ultimately resolve conflicts arising out of the law, to have working knowledge of the law's intricacies -- and this general discussion, with insights from Judge Simpson, will certainly help."

Mr. Staudenmaier has played a fundamental role in shaping issues of Right to Know Law in Pennsylvania through representation in recent years of various media, individual and business interests before government agencies, as well as his widely recognized successes in litigation before the Commonwealth and Supreme Courts in landmark cases pertaining to media access and public right to know as lead counsel in the successful Penn State University/Paterno and PHEAA cases. He has appeared at numerous seminars in a variety of public venues discussing various aspects of the law.

Mr. Staudenmaier noted that the seminar will provide key practice points to help:

• Master the differences between the old and new laws
• How appeals to trial and appellate courts may be handled.
• The interplay between Rule 509 and RTK Law.
• Understand differing perspectives on whether and where the new statute went too far, or not far enough.
• Understand which new agencies and records are covered, and which are not.
• Understand which information a requester cannot access and why.

"There are 30 statutory exceptions in the Law," Staudenmaier added, "opening the door to individual interpretation and potential confusion, so this informed discussion should provide useful background on the issue."  In addition to Mr. Staudenmaier, the Nauman Smith RTK Practice Group includes business and corporate attorney J. Stephen Feinour, Esq., and county and municipal attorney Guy P. Beneventano, Esq.

Established in 1968, The Commonwealth Court is one of Pennsylvania's two statewide intermediate appellate courts. Its jurisdiction is generally limited to matters involving state and local government and regulatory agencies. Commonwealth Court also acts as a court of original jurisdiction, or a trial court, when lawsuits are filed by or against the Commonwealth. It is made up of nine judges who serve 10-year terms and generally decide cases in three-judge panels in Philadelphia, Harrisburg and Pittsburgh.

Founded in 1871, Nauman, Smith, Shissler & Hall, LLP, is the oldest law firm in continuous existence in Harrisburg. For further information on this subject or about the firm's RTK Practice Group, visit the Nauman Smith Web site at www.nssh.com/rtk, or contact Craig J. Staudenmaier, Esq. at 717.236.3010. cjstaud@nssh.com.