Judge wants Columbine depositions to remain sealed

Judge: Seal Columbine papers for 25 years:

U.S. District Court Judge Lewis Babcock has suggested that the depositions given by the parents of Columbine killers Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold should be sent to the National Archives and be kept sealed for 25 years.

In 2002, the parents of Columbine killer Eric Harris gave more than 16 hours of depositions in connection with a lawsuit by Columbine survivor Mark Taylor against Solvay Pharmaceuticals, maker of Luvox.

Taylor claimed that Luvox, an anti-depressant, made Harris homicidal and suicidal. However, Taylor dropped the lawsuit in February 2003 after Solvay agreed to contribute $10,000 to the American Cancer Society.

The other depositions of Harris’ parents and the parents of Dylan Klebold took place over a four-day period in August 2003 in connection with a lawsuit filed by the families of five slain Columbine students. But, like the Solvay lawsuit depositions, the depositions were sealed when those families reached a settlement with the Harris and Klebold families.

The depositions have since been sitting in a highly secured evidence room at the federal courthouse awaiting a decision by Babcock about what should be done with them.

After 25 years, the National Archives would decide if the depositions are of significant social value and could release them to the public. Otherwise, they’d be destroyed, according to evidence presented at today’s hearing.

Babcock said he wouldn’t make a final decision until all sides had an opportunity to file written responses with him. He gave the parties a two-week deadline to file motions.

I understand that depositions in privately settled lawsuits are supposed to remain sealed but this is a special case. I’ll be honest with you. I can think of no legal reason why the depositions should be made public. I only want to see the released for my own personal curiosity. In my opinion, it’s already been proven that the Harrises dropped the parenting ball. I just want to see how many opportunities they had to prevent the massacre but didn’t.