The State - News from Nov. 30, 1986

A federal judge in San Francisco affirmed her order for Veterans Administration staff to explain the shredding of documents in an atomic radiation suit. Rejecting government arguments that she could order a hearing only if the shredding was shown to be intentional wrongdoing, U.S. District Judge Marilyn Hall Patel said she found it “somewhat astounding that the VA, after shredding or preparing to shred undeniably relevant evidence, would so righteously resist a vigorous inquiry into the motivation underlying its assault on the integrity of this judicial proceeding.” The lawsuit was filed on behalf of 5,000 veterans and their survivors who have claims with the VA for radiation injury due to participation in nuclear tests or the occupation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the atomic bombings in World War II.