ESPN has won an appeals court ruling against Notre Dame’s police department over a request for the release of arrest records regarding athletes.
In a strong legal victory for those attempting to dig further into the issue of whether athletes receive preferential treatment from local police, an appeals court has ruled in favor of ESPN in their battle with Notre Dame over the release in police records.
According to WSBT-TV in South Bend, the ruling dealt with the judge’s opinion that the duty of the police department made them a public entity even though Notre Dame is a private school:
"Because of that, the judges ruled the department and the university then violated a public records request from ESPN. The sports network tried to get arrest records and other documents concerning possible criminal activity involving student athletes. The case now goes back to the trial court to consider which records ESPN requested can be released and which cannot."
In the past, ESPN has made inquiries at other major universities across the country, including the University of Alabama and the University of Florida. Recently, the network sought records from the police department at Florida State University in light of recent legal issues involving Seminole athletes. FSUPD released all their records publicly before the case went to court.
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