Why are some court documents sealed?
The prosecution has been granted a restraining order with respect to some of the defendant’s assets, so that a pool of funds would be available should a conviction be obtained on counts that trigger an asset forfeiture proceeding. The court supervises the maintenance of those assets. Ruling on a motion to intervene in the case brought by five media organizations, the court’s October 18, 2004 order sealed documents related to the defendant’s financial records and restrained assets to ensure a fair trial. Some of these documents may become public during the course of the trial. Motions to unseal the documents may be made after the trial has concluded.
