PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The Providence Journal joined the Associated Press, The New York Times and the National Catholic Reporter Monday in arguing the court should unseal all documents related to lawsuits contesting the will of an elderly widow who gave about $60 million to a scandal-plagued Catholic order.
Joseph Cavanagh urged Judge Michael Silverstein to lift a seal on documents involving the will and trusts of Gabrielle Mee, a devout woman who gave all her money to the Legion of Christ.
"There is a strong public interest in openness," Cavanagh said.
Mee's niece challenged the distribution of her aunt's assets in lawsuits Silverstein dismissed in September.
Joseph Avanzato, lawyer for the Legion, argued vacating the seal would compromise the order's right to a fair trial since an appeal remains pending.
This is an update. An earlier version of this post incorrectly spelled Joseph Cavanagh's name.