Legislative Emails Ruled Protected By Confidentiality

According to federal court, North Carolina lawmakers are not required to give up emails between other lawmakers and staff . This legislative confidentiality protects these documents from being used in a lawsuit.

Attorneys for state officials, the U.S. government and advocacy groups are collecting evidence for next summer's trial of the state's 2013 election-overhaul law. That law reduced the number of early voting days, ended same-day registration and mandates photo identification to vote in 2016.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Joi Peake ruled North Carolina legislators aren't required to turn over emails to those suing over this law. She added that their correspondence with third parties is largely fair game.

Peake said legislative privilege applies to communications between legislators and their aides but doesn't when lawmakers are interacting with constituents or interest groups.

A U.S. District judge may be asked to review Peake's decision.