Opinion
S097363
11-14-2018
PEOPLE v. MERRIMAN (JUSTIN JAMES)
Motion for access to sealed record granted
Condemned inmate Justin James Merriman's “Motion to Review Confidential and Under Seal Files,” filed on August 31, 2018, is granted in part and denied in part as follows. Merriman's counsel, the Federal Public Defender for the Central District of California, is granted access to the sealed and confidential materials contained in the record in People v. Merriman (S097363), except for (1) the volume titled “Reporter's Transcript on Appeal Sealed Unredacted Portions of Jury Voir Dire (With Index)”; and (2) volumes I and II of the “Clerk's Transcript of Unredacted Pages.” The denial of access is without prejudice to petitioning the superior court pursuant to section 237, subdivision (b) of the Code of Civil Procedure. The motion is denied as unnecessary as to the records in In re Merriman, S212038, and In re Merriman, S249107, because those records do not contain any sealed or confidential documents.
Counsel must supply the personnel and equipment necessary to undertake the review and copying of the records to which access is granted. The review and copying must occur on the premises of the court. Counsel must not release or cause to be released any of the sealed or confidential material or any of the information contained therein to anyone other than counsel's agents without a prior order of this court.