Dugard prosecutor wants to keep sex details sealed
By Sam Stanton, Sacramento Bee
The prosecutor in the Jaycee Lee Dugard case has filed court papers opposing an effort by The Bee and other media groups to unseal grand jury transcripts that include the kidnap victim’s testimony, saying the documents should remain sealed until a jury is sworn in for a trial.
El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson, in papers filed in advance of a hearing set for next Thursday, said unsealing the transcripts would expose Dugard to revelations of “extremely private and violent acts” committed by the defendants, Phillip and Nancy Garrido.
Release of the transcripts would also “only provide the defense with more fodder” to claim that the Garridos cannot receive a fair trial, he wrote.
“The more publicity of the specific details of this case, the more likely it will be that the Defendants will seek a change of venue prior to trial,” Pierson wrote.