JUDGE: HOFFMAN ORDER IS TEMPORARY

A circuit court judge has clarified that her order to seal pretrial
evidence in the armed robbery of a slain Tallahassee police informant
is temporary.

Rachel Hoffman, 23, a recent Florida State graduate, was shot to death
in May while helping police in an undercover operation. She was to buy
drugs and a gun with $13,000 in recorded bills. Two men, Deneilo
Bradshaw, 23, and Andrea Green, 25, were charged with armed robbery.
First-degree murder charges are pending.

Circuit Judge Kathleen Dekker entered an order last week to seal the
evidence, which was about to become available to the public, after a
hastily called hearing about which the news media was not given notice.

"The order is temporary and intended to maintain the status quo,"
Dekker wrote in the supplemental order she filed Friday. "A full de
novo hearing will be scheduled for a later date, at which time the
parties and members of the media will be afforded the opportunity to
be heard on these matters."

The clarification appears to be in response to a motion filed Friday
by the Tallahassee Democrat 's lawyer to allow public access to the
evidence.

"We all knew when the original order was entered it was temporary,"
Assistant State Attorney Jackie Fulford said. "It was never our
intention that someday in the future somebody wouldn't have a right to
be heard in objection."

That hearing has been scheduled for Aug. 11.

"The court has clarified the earlier order, indicated it is temporary
and said that we will have a chance to argue against the effort to
seal these documents," said the Democrat 's lawyer, Mike Glazer. "We
look forward to that hearing on August 11."