Indiana Drops Attempt to Block Paper’s Story on DCS

The Indiana Department of Child Services has dropped its attempt to block the South Bend Tribune from publishing a story based on audio recordings of telephone calls to the agency's child abuse hotline.

Attorney General Greg Zoeller says he recommended the DCS drop its attempt to block the story. He says prior restraint of the news media publishing public records is inconsistent with the First Amendment.

The state Court of Appeals was scheduled to hear arguments on the case Monday afternoon.

The Tribune had originally won release of records following the November death of 10-year-old Tramelle Sturgis.

A state appeals court granted an emergency block on the records Friday, an hour after the paper published a story on its website with details from the calls.