Jury transcripts remain sealed in O.C. jail death

An Orange County Superior Court judge ruled Friday that grand jury transcripts from a nine-month investigation into the 2006 beating death of an inmate at Theo Lacy Jail should remain sealed -- at least for now.

Judge James A. Stotler scheduled a Monday hearing to determine whether arguments about the Sheriff’s Department’s request to keep the transcripts confidential should be held in public or in a closed courtroom.

The hearing is a judicial warm-up to Stotler’s ultimate decision on whether to make the transcripts public.

Attorneys from the Orange County Counsel filed a motion -- still under seal -- to keep the transcripts confidential. Attorneys representing The Times and Orange County Register have asked Stotler to unseal the transcripts and conduct all proceedings in public.

The newspapers’ attorneys contend that the estimated 8,000 pages should be made public because California law requires that transcripts be released after indictments are returned, unless they jeopardize defendants’ rights to a fair trial. Three inmates indicted in the jail homicide have not objected to the transcripts’ release.

Stotler was initially scheduled to consider the request to keep the transcripts sealed on Friday but said he needed additional time to consider the matter. “There’s no living way we’re going to decide on this right now,” the judge said Friday. “I’m not apologizing for anything because I’m a hard-working dude.”

Sheriff’s officials and county lawyers have not explained publicly why the transcripts should be sealed. But officials familiar with the request said sheriff’s officials were concerned that the transcripts contain information about jail security and could pose a threat to inmates or deputies.

Acting Sheriff Jack Anderson said Thursday that he does not oppose the eventual release of the transcripts but would not discuss the motion to extend their sealing.

The debate centers around the beating death of John Chamberlain, who was attacked by about 20 fellow inmates at the Orange jail. Orange County Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas convened a special grand jury that spent nine months looking into Chamberlain’s death. The panel found no crimes were committed by sheriff’s personnel, who had been accused of prompting the beating by inaccurately telling inmates that Chamberlain was an accused child molester. In fact, he was held for possession of child pornography. The panel did indict three inmates on murder charges.

Rackauckas did, however, criticize the Sheriff’s Department for investigating the beating death, breaking with the longtime policy of letting the district attorney handle such probes.

Anderson vowed to launch an aggressive internal investigation once the transcripts were unsealed.

This year, the county agreed to pay $600,000 to resolve a lawsuit filed by Chamberlain’s father. He contended that sheriff’s personnel prompted the attack and ignored his son’s cries for help.

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stuart.pfeifer@latimes.com

christine.hanley@latimes.com