Motion filed to unseal Blagg court records

GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO - Newspapers have gone to court for public records related to the arrest of Michael Blagg and the autopsy report on his slain wife, Jennifer. <br> <br> The Daily Sentinel asked Mesa County District Court on Wednesday to make public the arrest warrant and affidavit for Blagg, the search warrant for the Blaggs&#39; home, and the autopsy report on Jennifer Blagg. <br> <br> The Denver Post also has asked for release of court records in the case. <br> <br> District Judge David Bottger on Monday closed public access to the autopsy report at the request of District Attorney Frank Daniels. His order came five days after The Daily Sentinel asked the Mesa County Coroner&#39;s Office for the report. <br> <br> Daniels argued its release ``could jeopardize the further investigation and prosecution of this case.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Michael Blagg, 39, was arrested in Warner Robins, Ga., on June 5, hours after investigators discovered the remains of his wife, 34, in the Mesa County Landfill. He is expected to be extradited to Colorado soon to face a charge of first-degree murder. <br> <br> The day after Blagg&#39;s arrest, District Judge Nick Massaro sealed the arrest warrant and the affidavit supporting the warrant ``until further order.&#39;&#39; The search warrant on the Blagg home has been sealed since November. <br> <br> In their motion, Sentinel attorneys Terry Farina and Matthew Weber argued the extensive media coverage of the Blagg case makes it unlikely that the release of the records will tip the scales against Blagg&#39;s right to a fair trial. <br> <br> ``Restricting access to the court file after seven months of near saturation media coverage is tantamount to closing the barn door after the horse is gone,&#39;&#39; the motion says. <br> <br> Farina and Weber said there are other methods of protecting fair trial rights, such as juror examination, cautionary instructions and admonitions, and change of venue. <br> <br> Investigators have continued to comb through garbage at the landfill, looking for the body of Abby Blagg, 6. Michael Blagg reported his wife and the couple&#39;s daughter missing Nov. 13 after returning home.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/6/193611