Privacy: DOE V. HON. JOHN W. POTTER (COA 10/27/2006)

DOE V. HON. JOHN W. POTTER
EXTRAORDINARY WRITS:  disclosure to grand jury names of victims in class action suit
2006-CA-001873
PUBLISHED; ORDER DYING IN PART AND GRAND IN PART CR 76.36 RELIEF (ABRAMSON)
DATE RENDERED: 10/27/2006

Having concluded that the trial judge was acting within his jurisdiction and further that no irreparable harm will result from the reporting of the names of the living abusers and the details and scope of their abuse, the writ sought by Petitioners, the John Doe Class (the “Class”) is denied to the extent that it challenges the judge’s authority to order such reports.

Because wholesale disclosure of the names and addresses of the victims (of sexual abuse by priests of the Roman Catholic Church) could cause irreparable harm to some members of the Class and such disclosures may ultimately be unnecessary for protection of the public interest, COA granted the writ to the extent that the trial court’s order requires victims’ names and contact information to be released to prosecutors at the time of the reports