House arrest records latest battle in Dippolito murder-for-hire case
WEST PALM BEACH — The newest battle in the Dalia Dippolito murder-for-hire case is over the release of her in-house arrest records.
At a hearing on Tuesday, Judge Glenn Kelley addressed Dippolito's motion to seal documents related to her in-house arrest.
Dippolito's attorneys made the request after the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office released those records to a media outlet last week.
Greg Rosenfeld, one of Dippolito's lawyers, argued the documents contain protected medical information.
Dippolito is charged with hiring an undercover Boynton Beach police officer to kill her husband in 2009. The police video of the staged crime scene went viral.
An appeals court threw out Dippolito’s 2011 conviction and 20-year sentence, because of a tainted jury pool.
Dippolito is currently out on house arrest, after she posted bond. She is now waiting for her third trial.
The in-house arrest records took on interest after Dippolito’s attorneys revealed at her December retrial, Ms. Dippolito is the mother of an infant son.
Judge Kelley had already granted the defense request, to the extent he is currently barring further releases of the in-house arrest records, and is reviewing the material in his chambers.
Tuesday Judge Kelley said the documents viewed so far do not contain any medical diagnoses or conditions, only the names of Dippolito's doctors and lists of her appointments.
The judge said he needs to do more research to determine if that information legally needs to be sealed.
CBS12 has also made a request for the records.
The judge said he would evaluate any new documents affected by the new petition, and then hold a hearing so the parties could make arguments regarding the release of those documents.
“We are outraged the media is requesting these documents,” said attorney Rosenfeld. “I mean, the media should be focused on the outrageous conduct by the Boynton Beach Police Department-- not on the tabloid-worthy stories.”
Just last week it became apparent Dippolito's third trial will stay in Palm Beach County in spite of all the publicity. Both sides indicated they would not seek a change of venue.
No new trial date has been set yet.
