Hartford (AP) — The task force charged with making recommendations to the General Assembly on balancing victim privacy under Connecticut's Freedom of Information Commission with the public's right to know is holding its first meeting.

The 17-member group is scheduled to meet Thursday at the Legislative Office Building.

State legislators created the task force as part of a new law that blocked release of crime scene photos and video evidence from the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown.

The legislation applies to other cases as well. It prevents the release of the evidence if it "could reasonably be expected to constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy of the victim or the victim's surviving family members."

The panel, which includes representation from a range of professions, faces a Jan. 1 deadline.