King County Superior Court Judge Timothy Bradshaw has unsealed records from a 2003 lawsuit filed by Susan Hutchison, a Republican candidate for King County Executive. Hutchison had sued her former employer KIRO television for what she claimed was age and race discrimination when the station hired a younger, Asian anchor and demoted Hutchinson to the afternoon news. Her attorney had argued that the court records—which the parties sealed after settling out of court—showed a one-side portrayal of Hutchison.

"The public has a right to know about how its judicial resources are being used," Judge Bradshaw said. "The open operation of our courts is of the utmost importance."

Bradshaw released several hundred pages of court files at the end of the hearing. It remains unclear how many more pages are forthcoming due to privacy concerns. The Seattle Times filed the suit last month, arguing that roughly 753 of the 859 pages of records from Hutchison's lawsuit were improperly blocked from public access.

Hutchison's attorney Jon Rosen told the judge thaty he hasn't been trying to delay the release of records. Hutchinson was trying to ensure that her rights and the rights of other poeple in similar situations are protected, he said. However, Rosen added that Hutchison will not appeal the case.

Details to come on the contents of about 300 pages that were released today.

Reporting by news intern Garrett McCulloch.