HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_010757.txt

The document is a legal filing regarding the case Bradley J. Edwards and Paul G. Cassell vs Alan M. Dershowitz in the Circuit Court of Broward County, Florida. The plaintiffs/counterclaim defendants are responding to Dershowitz's motion to determine the confidentiality of certain court records related to allegations made by Virginia Giuffre that she was sexually abused by Dershowitz. The filing argues that the court records in question should not be considered confidential because they support the conclusion that Dershowitz abused Ms. Giuffre and establish a strong basis for filing the allegations on her behalf. The plaintiffs also note that the records have never been found to be "confidential" by any other court and that Dershowitz has referred to them in media interviews and pleadings before this Court, which implies that he wants "everything to be made public" and implied that Edwards and Cassell had something to hide. The filing goes on to discuss the legal principles governing the sealing of court records, including the presumption of openness and the heavy burden placed on the party seeking closure. The plaintiffs argue that Dershowitz has failed to carry this burden and request that the court deny his motion in its entirety.