Cold Case Secrets: Civil Rights Files Stay Sealed Longer
Published Date: 9/21/2026
Notice
Summary
The Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board decided which old civil rights case files can be released and which need to be postponed. They approved 3 new postponements out of 22 requests, keeping some records under wraps a bit longer. This update affects anyone following these cases and happens right on schedule, with no extra costs involved.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Three Records Postponed in September 2026
In September 2026 the Review Board approved 3 postponement requests out of 22 additional postponement proposals, delaying release of records. The specific approved postponements are: incident 2023-002-001 (postponement 2024-DOJ-02-1068a) and incident 2023-002-009 (postponements 2024-DOJ-02-0787a and 2024-DOJ-02-0791a). These approvals mean those particular files will remain postponed rather than being disclosed at this time.
Other Postponement Requests Rejected (Records to be Released)
For the other postponement requests listed in the notice, the Review Board recorded "Reject" next to the postponement identifiers in the table, indicating those postponement requests were denied. That means the records associated with the reject entries in the table (for example, several entries under incidents 2023-002-008, 2024-003-003, and 2024-003-041) were not postponed and remain subject to disclosure under the Collection.
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
2026-17441, 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.
2026-18579, Notice of Formal Determination on Records Release
The Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board reviewed over 5,400 pages of records about four civil rights cases and decided to release most of them to the public, with a few parts postponed. This means thousands of pages will soon be available for everyone to see, while some sensitive info stays sealed for now. The Board also plans to ask the court to unseal grand jury details for one case, all happening right after their September 4, 2026 decision.
2026-16055, 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 2023-002-007 in which the Department of Justice (DOJ) proposed postponements. DOJ later proposed 2 additional postponements. On August 4, 2026, the Review Board decided on these postponements and revised its decision on one previously proposed postponement. It determined that 24 pages in full and 10 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.
2026-14246, Notice of Formal Determination on Records Release
The Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board reviewed 451 pages of records about two civil rights cases and decided to release 88 pages to the public while postponing most others. They’ve asked the Attorney General to help unseal some secret grand jury info. This update affects anyone interested in these historic cases and follows a legal deadline to share their decision within two weeks.
Previous / Next Documents
Previous: 2026-19226, Center for Scientific Review; Amended Notice of Meeting
The NIH’s Community and Place-Based Determinations of Health Study Section meeting originally set for two days in October 2026 is now just one day, October 21, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. This change affects researchers and staff involved in the meeting, but there’s no public access or cost impact. The meeting stays closed to the public and keeps the same hours, just shorter overall.
Next: 2026-19230, John Ramsay Walters, M.D.; Decision and Order
Dr. John Ramsay Walters from California lost his DEA registration to handle controlled substances because he no longer has the legal authority to prescribe them in his state. He didn’t ask for a hearing to challenge this, so the DEA officially revoked his registration as of May 31, 2026. This means he can’t legally prescribe or dispense controlled drugs anymore, affecting his medical practice and patients.