California judge seals all records in NY Times exec Jonathan McKinsey murder case

An Alameda County judge secretly sealed every court record in the murder case against a couple accused of killing NY Times gaming exec Jonathan McKinsey, 40.

Alameda court locks down murder case files, hiding even the judge's identity

A California judge has sealed every court record in the murder case against a couple charged with killing New York Times gaming executive Jonathan McKinsey — including the identity of the judge who issued the order, NY Post Metro reports.

First Amendment experts say the move appears to violate state and federal laws guaranteeing public access to criminal court proceedings.

Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77, are charged with murder and lying in wait in the Sept. 26 shooting death of McKinsey, 40, who was killed in broad daylight at the Dublin Sports Grounds. Prosecutors allege the couple plotted the attack during a bitter divorce and child custody dispute involving their daughter, Candice Jang, and McKinsey.

The sealing order blocks public access to the criminal complaint, police declarations, and other prosecution documents — including the order itself, according to the Mercury News.

Matthew Cate, a Bay Area attorney specializing in public access cases, told the outlet the arrangement was legally untenable. "That's not supposed to happen that way," he said, citing protections under the First Amendment, California's Constitution, and state law. "I can't imagine what would justify sealing an entire case file."

David Loy, legal director of the First Amendment Coalition, called the blanket sealing an "egregious" departure from established legal norms. "Court records are presumptively open to the public and every sealing should be the exception rather than the rule," Loy told the Mercury News. He also criticized concealing the judge's identity, warning that the public had no way to assess whether a conflict of interest existed.

The Alameda County courts confirmed the existence of the sealing order but declined to comment. The order does not appear to bar future court hearings from being held in public.

Previously released police records from the Alameda County District Attorney's Office indicated that officers arrested both suspects following a high-risk traffic stop shortly after the shooting. Chen allegedly had one of the suspected murder weapons on her person and declined to speak with investigators. Zhang, according to the documents, admitted to shooting McKinsey.

The couple's separate divorce case remains publicly accessible. Those records include allegations of abuse and harassment between the estranged spouses. McKinsey had also accused his in-laws of transphobia and alleged that they directed homophobic slurs at one of the children.

Zhang and Chen remain jailed without bail. Both face potential life sentences without the possibility of parole.

Source: NY Post Metro