Douglas Oil Co. v. Petrol Stops Northwest
Supreme Court of the United States
441 U.S. 211 (1979)
Petrol Stops Northwest and other retailers (plaintiffs) sued Douglas Oil and other oil companies (defendants) in Arizona federal court for civil price-fixing. Around the same time, a California federal grand jury was investigating related criminal price-fixing allegations against the same companies. The retailers persuaded the California district judge to release the grand jury transcripts to them under protective conditions. The oil companies' appeal to the Ninth Circuit failed, and they sought Supreme Court review.
Whether disclosure of grand jury proceedings is appropriate only when a demonstrated, particularized need for disclosure outweighs the public interest in maintaining grand jury confidentiality.