First Amendment
Lerach Wants Sentencing Brief Sealed
Securities class-action lawyer William Lerach hasn’t been shy about his opinions on issues such as sweetheart deals for corporate CEOs and the federal government’s policing of insider trading.
He wrote newspaper commentaries on those subjects, but now he wants to keep his legal brief secret regarding his sentence for paying kickbacks to clients, according to Portfolio.com’s Daily Brief. He also wants to seal 150 supportive letters.
Prosecutors counter that the public has a First Amendment right of access to most of the documents.
Lerach pleaded guilty in October to conspiracy to obstruct justice and make false testimony. Prosecutors are seeking a two-year sentence, Business Week reports.
