The law would prevent people from getting traffic accident records unless they knew the name of at least one person involved, and either the location or the date of the crash. Lawmakers said they passed the measure to keep ambulance-chasing chiropractors, lawyers and others from improperly soliciting injured victims. The newspaper groups charge that the law violates the free speech, press, equal protection and due process provisions of the Texas Constitution. The chiefs serve areas covered by the newspaper association members and would enforce the law. I think there is a way that those can be reconciled.
Barratry refers to the improper solicitation of accident victims as clients.
Austin lawyer Richard Hile, special counsel to the attorney general's office, said the temporary injunction allows the two sides to consolidate all their efforts into one trial concerning a permanent injunction. But be all that as it may, should the state choose to do that, there are better ways to do it than a blanket law that restricts access to records that are clearly owned by, compiled by, paid for and set up to serve the public. Lawmakers approved two bills restricting public access to accident reports. Gov. George W. Bush vetoed one, by Rep. Toby Goodman, R-Arlington. Bush's office said the second bill's provision went unnoticed.