Crowe
Crowe v. County of San Diego
Opinion
Opinion
Rhoades, J.
ORDER MAINTAINING SEALING OF TRANSCRIPTS
I. Overview
On May 29, 2002, the Copley Press, Inc., Publisher of the San Diego Union-Tribune (“Copley Press”), filed a Renewed Motion for Access to Transcripts of Secret Court Proceedings and Sealed Records. The transcripts memorialize the Court’s eight in chambers meetings from November 1, 2000 through April 30, 2002 with representatives of the San Diego County Sheriffs Department and California Attorney General’s Office involved in the criminal investigation of the murder of Stephanie Crowe.
The Court granted the Copley Press’s Motion to Intervene on November 5, 2001, issued an Order Keeping Transcripts under Seal on December 3, 2001, and issued a concurrent Order under seal, for review by the Ninth Circuit, if necessary, summarizing the pertinent information obtained during the interviews with the Sheriffs Officers and Attorney General’s representatives. Neither the Copley Press nor the parties appealed.
The circumstances surrounding the criminal investigation have changed since December 3, 2001 — the Attorney General’s Office charged Richard Tuite with the murder of Stephanie Crowe on May 15, 2002. Despite this change, the Court…