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5:17 a.m. • 2-10-12

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Cooper attorneys want custody order sealed


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Brad Cooper
Brad Cooper

Civil attorneys representing a Cary man charged with killing his wife have filed a motion asking a judge to seal a temporary custody order regarding the couple's two young daughters.

In the request filed Monday, Brad Cooper's lawyer, Deborah Sandlin, said that making the details of the order public would prejudice potential jurors in the criminal case and "irreparably harm" both his criminal defense and his standing when a permanent custody hearing is held.

"Once the temporary custody order is entered as a public record, it will certainly be posted on the WRAL Internet Web site, the 'NC News 17' Web site, the Websleuth (sic) Web site and countless others," the motion states, adding that there has been substantial media coverage surrounding both the custody case and Nancy Cooper's slaying.

"Once this occurs, no appellate decision can undo the irreparable damage that will have been done," the motion continues.

Alice Stubbs, an attorney representing Nancy Cooper's family – to whom a Wake County District Court judge granted temporary custody of the Coopers' daughters – said she intends to file an objection to the motion.

Several days after the custody decision, a Wake County grand jury indicted Brad Cooper, 35, on first-degree murder in his wife's slaying.

Brad Cooper told Cary police his wife went jogging around 7 a.m. on July 12 and never returned home. Two days later, her body was found in an undeveloped subdivision three miles from their home. An autopsy found she had likely been strangled.

Through his attorneys, Brad Cooper has denied being involved in her death. He has admitted to police that they were having marital difficulties.

He is being held without bond in the Wake County jail.

His attorney in the criminal case, Howard Kurtz, said Monday that he expects to file a motion asking for bond.

RELATED TOPICS: Wake County, Cary

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Big ups to WRAL for getting mentioned in the article. Did anyone catch that one of the talking heads for the McCain campaign also took a shot at WRAL when they called the election for Obama early? WRAL was right, BTW.

WRAL gets the word out to all the taxpayers in tha streets, word is bond.

These suckers trying to seal the case are just player hating on WRAL, in my humble opinion. Those hustlers are trying to hide something from the hip fresh GOLO crew.

If I were Nancy's family, I would want everything to go well on the very first trial. Leaving nothing for appeals! So seal the documents, the family was there, they know what was is being sealed. We, the public, don't need the information.

It is going to be tough enough to get a fair trial so anything they can do to make it so should happen. I don't know if he is guilty but if he is then the evidence will prove it and he will stay in jail!

I want Justice for the family and for the people and I hope we don't have to deal with appeal after appeal.

I doubt there is any evidence in the custody case documents. After all, the police supposedly had that. But, what is likely in those documents is a bunch of opinions, much like those expressed here, which when circulated more widely and hailed as even more credible than those in this forum, might indeed cause harm. Remember, his wife's friends were quick to come out and say he was a "Money Nazi", while at the same time his wife was driving an expensive 2006 BMW. Her friends appear to be on a witch hunt and have said statements with no factual basis. Gossip is all it is, but probably appearing in the documents.

And, what evidence does the police have? It was interesting that they pushed the indictment at the last minute -- it was not scheduled and the grand jury was tired and ready to go home. I doubt there was any substantial evidence. If the police had what they need, why did they make yet another trip to the Cooper home to get stuff? They're grasping at straws.

chickentender - He worked at Cisco...don't know if he still does. And why should such a courtesy be extended to him? When he wasn't even a suspect or a person of interest his attorney's tried to strong arm their way into getting evidence and autopsy results BEFORE THEY LEGALLY COULD! Glad to see his attorney's are as obnoxious as him. If he didn't do it, as he professes, what does he have to hide? Why so scared about the documents Brad?

I will only be happy when he is behind bars and Nancy's family doesn't have to think about HIM constantly. They already have reminders of the horror. I'm just thankful that those little girls are safe and won't know the full extent of their father's evil.

By saying there would be irreperable damage to him by unsealing the documents says it all. They won't need these to convict him. The public doesn't need to know what's in them.

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