Regina Brett awarded Silver Gavel

The American Bar Association has awarded Plain Dealer columnist Regina Brett the organization's Silver Gavel award for her columns on open discovery.

Brett, who also was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for the past two years, will be one of five Silver Gavel winners and two honorable mentions at this year's ceremony.

It will be held a the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on July 1.

The awards are given to media professionals who help foster the public's understanding of the law and legal system.

Last year, Brett wrote numerous columns about how the restriction of open discovery rules, where prosecutors share police reports and records with defense attorneys, affected criminal cases in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court.

In March, the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association presented a proposal to the Ohio Asspociation of Criminal Defense Lawyers to allow for open discovery in all counties across the state, and the two sides have since worked on a plan to allow open discovery.