Judge Ordered to Unseal Hidden Portions of File
A federal appeals court Monday ordered a judge to unseal hidden portions of the court file of disgraced former California Coastal Commissioner Mark Nathanson.
A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered U.S. District Judge Lawrence K. Karlton to release the records.
Nathanson pleaded guilty in 1993 to soliciting bribes from Hollywood stars in return for favorable coastal development rights. He was jailed nearly four years.
Documents that Nathanson submitted in a successful bid to reduce his sentence allege that other politicians may have been in on the scheme. Karlton blacked out those names from the file, saying there was no evidence they committed a crime. The appellate court said Karlton improperly acted and ordered him to disclose the names.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
