Groups oppose demand for UVa. records

Four groups have filed a friend-of-the-court brief asking a judge to set aside Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s demand for documents related to research on global warming by a former University of Virginia professor.

The brief was filed Tuesday in Albemarle County Circuit Court by the ACLU of Virginia, the American Association of University of Professors, Union of Concerned Scientists and the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression.

"If the court permits the attorney general to gain access to the private communications among scientists whenever he disagrees with their ideas, the scientists will simply stop sharing their ideas," ACLU of Virginia executive director Kent Willis said. "The chilling effect on academic freedom and scientific inquiry is incalculable."

Check out the Virginia Politics blog for more details.