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Sherri Papini, the California “super mom” who faked her own kidnapping, won’t be able to access documents related to her criminal case unless she’s in the presence of her attorney, a judge ruled.
The protective order, filed by prosecutors last week and signed by a magistrate judge Tuesday, bars Papini from accessing documents that contain “personal identifying information,” such as the names of witnesses or other related information, court records show.
Not only will Papini not have access to the records unless she’s in the presence of her defense team, she also can’t make copies of the materials, take them out of the room or “write down or memorialize” any of the identifying information in the files, the document, filed in the Eastern District of California, says.
“At no time, under any circumstances, will any Protected Materials be left in the possession, custody or control of the defendant, whether or not she is incarcerated,” the order states.
“All Protected Materials shall be used solely for the purpose of conducting and preparing for pre-trial, post-trial, and appellate proceedings (both direct and collateral) and in this criminal action and for no other purposes whatsoever, and shall not be used for the economic or other benefit of the defendant, or any third party.”
Papini does have a right to make a request to see the documents but before her attorney can allow her access, all personal identifying information must be redacted from the records, the order says.
Neama Rahmani, a former Los Angeles federal prosecutor, called the document a “standard” filing under California’s ninth circuit.
“These materials can only be used to protect the defendant. You need to make sure the case doesn’t become more public — in this situation, it already is,” Rahmani explained to The Post.
“It’s about protecting her rights to a fair trial. She can use the materials after her trial to score a book deal or documentary deal.”
In 2016, Papini claimed she was the victim of a violent kidnapping at the hands of two Hispanic women who beat her up, chopped off her blonde locks and branded her before releasing her along a rural street of Interstate 5 in Yolo County, about 150 miles from her Redding home.
More than five years later, Papini was arrested on March 3 after investigators determined she allegedly made the whole thing up and was staying at an ex-boyfriend’s house during the three weeks that she was missing.
She was released about five days later on a $120,000 bond and is maintaining her innocence.
Additional reporting by Elizabeth Rosner and Marjorie Hernandez
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