Lawyer in stripper case agree on secrecy rules

Detroit — Lawyers involved in the federal lawsuit over the killing of former exotic dancer Tamara “Strawberry’ Greene have finally agreed on how to handle confidential records filed in the case.

The agreement on a “protective order” — filed today in U.S. District Court in Detroit — should clear the way for the lawyer for Greene’s family to view Greene’s homicide file from the Detroit Police Department and any city text messages that are deemed relevant to the lawsuit.

U.S. District Judge Gerald E. Rosen ordered several months ago that Norman Yatooma, the lawyer for Greene’s family, could view the Greene homicide file under strict conditions. Detroit police officials have expressed concern that the release of certain details from the homicide file could hamper their ongoing investigation of Greene’s April 30, 2003, shooting death.

Lawyers have been wrangling over the details of how such confidential records should be treated. Under the agreement filed today, any motions filed that cite confidential materials are to be filed under seal. Other clauses in the order are intended to prevent disclosure of confidential materials to third parties.
Greene’s name was linked to a long-rumored but never-proven party involving strippers at the mayor’s official residence, the Manoogian Mansion, when former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick held the office in the fall of 2002.

Greene’s family is suing the city, Kilpatrick, his former chief of staff Christine Beatty, and other top city and police officials, alleging they obstructed the investigation of Greene’s killing for political reasons.
The defendants deny the allegations.

U.S. Magistrate judges assisting Rosen have been poring through hundreds of thousands of text messages sent on city-issued SkyTel pagers to determine if any of the messages are relevant to the lawsuit.

Lawyers in the case could not immediately be reached for comment.
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