Internet Gets Scoop on Au Pair Ruling

The judge in the trial of the British au pair said Tuesday he would not announce his upcoming decision from the bench, but instead will post it on the Internet.

Defense attorneys for Louise Woodward, 19, convicted of second-degree murder in the death of an 8-month-old baby in her care, have asked the judge to reject the verdict or reduce the charge against her. Judge Hiller Zobel said his decision will be found at https://www.lawyersweekly.com as early as today, but he set no deadline.

A court source told Reuters that Zobel’s ruling also would be sent via electronic mail to 10 news organizations, including Reuters, for them to post on their Web sites.

Zobel’s plan is believed to be the first time a court proceeding will be announced on the World Wide Web. Previously, court documents have been made available on the Web, but their official dissemination was always in paper at the courthouse.

Zobel cited intense public interest in the case in his decision to post his finding electronically.

The judge’s announcement surprised editors at the publication Lawyers Weekly, on whose Web site Zobel’s findings will be posted. Middlesex Superior Court does not have its own Web site. Erin Moran, vice president of technology at Lawyers Weekly, said he learned of Zobel’s plans when a monitor of Web site activity lit up.