Board Orders Release of Civil Rights Cold Case Files
Published Date: 6/8/2026
Notice
Summary
The Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board reviewed over 14,000 pages of records about two important civil rights cases. They decided to release nearly 13,000 pages to the public while postponing some sensitive info, including sealed grand jury details. This means more history is opening up soon, with the Attorney General asked to help unseal key parts—no extra costs or delays expected beyond the usual legal steps.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Thousands of pages released publicly
The Review Board received 14,469 pages of records and decided to disclose 12,884 pages in full and 71 pages in part to the public. The Board made this disclosure decision at its May 29, 2026 meeting and published the determination in the Federal Register.
Many postponements mean limited access
Agencies proposed 2,089 postponements of records; on May 29, 2026 the Review Board approved 1,726 postponements and portions of 35 additional postponements. Those approved postponements mean certain sensitive material will remain withheld from public disclosure for now.
Attorney General asked to unseal grand jury info
The Review Board requested that the Attorney General petition the relevant court to unseal the federal grand jury information contained in the records. That request follows the Board's May 29, 2026 determination and is a formal step toward possible future disclosure of sealed grand jury material.
Personalized for You
How does this regulation affect your finances?
Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this federal register document means for your household, plus every other regulation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Key Dates
Department and Agencies
Related Federal Register Documents
2026-19783, Notice of Formal Determination on Records Release
The Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board decided to approve 2 out of 9 new requests to delay releasing certain records about a 2024 civil rights case. This means some information will stay under wraps a bit longer, while most records will be made public soon. These decisions were announced quickly to keep things transparent and on schedule.
2026-17441, Notice of Formal Determination on Records Release
The Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board previously reviewed and made formal disclosure determinations on records related to civil rights cold case incident 2023-002-006 in which the Department of Justice (DOJ) proposed postponements. The DOJ later proposed 4 additional postponements. On August 24, 2026, the Review Board rejected these postponements and determined that 32 pages in full and 33 pages in part should be publicly disclosed in the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection. By issuing this notice, the Review Board complies with the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act of 2018 that requires the Review Board to publish in the Federal Register its determinations on the disclosure or postponement of records in the Collection no more than 14 days after the date of its decision.
2026-17368, Notice of Formal Determination on Records Release
The Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board received 5,617 pages of records from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) related to three civil rights cold case incidents to which the Review Board assigned the unique identifiers 2023-002-005, 2024-003-029, and 2024-003-052. The agencies proposed 3,691 postponements including postponements of sealed federal grand jury information in the records. On August 7, 2026, the Review Board approved 1,086 postponements and portions of 71 additional postponements and determined that 5,104 pages in full and 513 pages in part should be publicly disclosed in the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection. The Review Board has requested that the Attorney General petition the relevant court to unseal federal grand jury information in the records. By issuing this notice, the Review Board complies with the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act of 2018 that requires the Review Board to publish in the Federal Register its determinations on the disclosure or postponement of records in the Collection no more than 14 days after the date of its decision.
2026-03814, Notice of Formal Determination on Records Release
The Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board decided to release 1,300 pages of important records about four civil rights cold cases. This means the public can now access these documents, with no delays or extra costs. The decision was made on February 20, 2026, and announced quickly to keep things transparent and timely.
2025-02522, Notice of Formal Determination on Records Release
The Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board reviewed 679 pages of records about a civil rights case and decided to release most of them to the public. They approved some delays in sharing certain info but made sure 640 pages are fully open and 39 pages partly open. This means more transparency soon, with no extra costs or delays beyond the set rules.
2026-19547, Notice of Formal Determination on Records Release
The Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board decided to release nearly 3,050 pages of important civil rights case records to the public while postponing 424 pages for now. This affects anyone interested in these historic cases, with some sealed grand jury info possibly becoming unsealed soon after the Attorney General asks the court. The decision was made on September 18, 2026, and follows a law that requires quick public updates.
Previous / Next Documents
Previous: 2026-11396, Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Annual Report of Children in State Agency and Locally Operated Institutions for Neglected and Delinquent Children
The Department of Education wants to keep collecting info about kids in state and local care facilities without changing the current process. This helps them understand and support neglected and delinquent children better. If you have thoughts, you can share them by July 8, 2026, but no new costs or big changes are planned.
Next: 2026-11398, Arms Sales Notification
The U.S. Department of Defense is letting everyone know about a big arms sale to Singapore, including advanced bomb tail kits and support gear worth $55 million. This deal upgrades Singapore’s military tech with new equipment and training, with major parts valued at $37 million. Notifications about this sale started in 2023 and continued with updates in 2024, showing ongoing support and enhancements.