Judge orders Heinz lawsuit records unsealed; family challenges ruling

AP ^ | 10/29/4

[SmithL]

NORRISTOWN, Pa. -- A judge on Friday ordered the unsealing of court records in a 1994 lawsuit by Teresa Heinz Kerry and her sons in the airplane crash that killed her first husband, U.S. Sen. H. John Heinz III.

The judge ruled that nearly all documents related to the case should be made public by Monday. Some records involving confidential materials, probably including details of the multimillionaire ketchup heir's holdings, would remain sealed.

Attorneys for the Heinz family and estate appealed, and the state Supreme Court granted Heinz Kerry's attorneys a stay that would keep the file closed until the court can review their appeal, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

Philadelphia Newspapers Inc., publisher of The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Daily News, petitioned to have the records unsealed, arguing that Heinz Kerry could become first lady and the records might contain information in which the public might have an interest.

Heinz, 52, and six others, including two children playing in a Montgomery County schoolyard below, were killed when a helicopter collided with an airplane carrying the senator in 1991. Teresa Heinz Kerry and her three sons filed the wrongful death lawsuit in 1994. In 1995, Heinz Kerry married Sen. John Kerry, now the Democratic nominee for president.

Montgomery County Court Judge Paul W. Tressler wrote that under Pennsylvania law, court records "shall be sealed only for extraordinary reasons."

The judge ruled that reasons given by Heinz family lawyers -- including the family's privacy, the family's reliance on the sealed record for the last eight years and the family's personal security -- did not rise to that level.

[SmithL]

Fascinating

[Peach]

Monday should prove to be very interesting. Watch for They'll have to muzzle Teresa.

[Death and Taxes]

The dam begins to crack...

[conservative in nyc]

English translation: Nothing will be released until after the election. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court won't take up the case until then.

[elizabetty]

Maybe Tereeeza will say, "JUDGES ARE SCUMBAGS"

[elizabetty]

all documents related to the case should be made public by Monday

[mlocher]

Philadelphia Newspapers Inc., publisher of The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Daily News, petitioned to have the records unsealed, arguing that Heinz Kerry could become first lady and the records might contain information in which the public might have an interest

since when does the philly daily news try to dig up dirt on a democrat? since when do they really want to get the truth out to the public? they are simply trolling for information that they can turn into stories that will sell newspapers.

[knarf]

Remember when Fridays exploded with some blockbuster only to be totally watered down by Monday?

'ja ever think it would really go our way?

Thank you Father, for answered prayers.

[Howlin]

nd the state Supreme Court granted Heinz Kerry's attorneys a stay that would keep the file closed until the court can review after the election.

[conservative in nyc]

all documents related to the case should be made public by Monday

Not quite:

Attorneys for the Heinz family and estate appealed, and the state Supreme Court granted Heinz Kerry's attorneys a stay that would keep the file closed until the court can review their appeal, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

As I read it, unless the Pennsylvania Supreme Court quickly denies Mrs. Heinz' appeal or reverses the stay, no records will become public on Monday. Let me try to see if there's an Inquirer article that explains this better.

[RGSpincich]

state Supreme Court granted Heinz Kerry's attorneys a stay that would keep the file closed until the court can review their appeal,

[mplsconservative]

"Attorneys for the Heinz family and estate appealed, and the state Supreme Court granted Heinz Kerry's attorneys a stay that would keep the file closed until the court can review their appeal, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported."

I don't think the records will be revealed on Monday.

They will probably review the appeal on November 3rd.

Unggghhhh!

I am such a state tonight. I feel like everything's being thrown against us in a "lawerly fashion."

[Old Professer]

Well, there is a rather accepted report of a shortage of flu vaccine and everyone knows that the flu always strikes hardest on Fridays and Mondays so...

[Mo1]

Philadelphia Newspapers Inc., publisher of The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Daily News, petitioned to have the records unsealed

Those papers are backing Kerry ... what's the point of this lawsuit?

[Mo1]

Why are they doing this???

[killjoy]

Can someone tell me the significance of this and why we should care?

[Woogit]

Clinton crony flying copter???? NAH...BUSH DID IT...they will figure out a way to blame all this on the President! It does appear that my prayers are being answered...discharge papers, missing ammo, bin laden tape, etc. I've been praying for something to happen that would drop skerry in the polls like a big rock in a small pond! GOD IS FAITHFUL!!!

[conservative in nyc]

Court records are usually public. Unless you're rich and politically connected. Then, you might be able to get them sealed so no one else can see them.

What's in the papers isn't clear. But it likely would reveal the Heinz estate-tax planning strategy, which would expose the more of the Kerry tax hypocrisy. Probably all legal, but you never know. Remember the fuss the media made over the Ryan divorce court records?

[killjoy]

Remember the fuss the media made over the Ryan divorce court records?

Actually, no I don't. :)

[cgk]

I imagine Atty Joe Bosco (KAL 007) will be in the news next week... he was the attorney in the original wrongful death suit according to his own website.