By Associated Press
Frankfort, KY – A state judge has ordered Kentucky to release records of child abuse deaths, saying the Cabinet for Health and Family Services had no legal basis for withholding the information. The Cabinet has historically been required to release the information on the first of September. Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd chided state officials today for a "culture of secrecy". Shepherd ruled that such information must be disclosed despite the cabinet's citation of confidentiality. The order comes after a court battle by The Courier-Journal and the Lexington Herald-Leader to obtain records of children who die or are seriously injured from abuse. Shepherd's order doesn't say when the records must be released. He ordered the cabinet and the newspapers to meet within 10 days to negotiate on the release of the records.