A civil lawsuit against Sharon Stone that had been held in secret turns out to be a routine dispute over legal fees that the judge says she sealed in error.
The case was unsealed Friday after media questioned why there were no official records. The dispute over $107,000 in fees was filed by an attorney in November and settled.
Court officials released the complaint and transcripts that detail how the case remained a secret. Judge Maureen Duffy-Lewis, who issued a broad order sealing the entire case, filed a document Friday stating she’d done so in error.
Court transcripts show the order was brought to the attention of Duffy-Lewis on March 19, a full month before news organizations began repeatedly requesting its release.
The case was discovered by City News Service reporter, who heard of it while covering an unrelated hearing. Duffy-Lewis released the sealing order earlier this week after inquiries by media outlets, including The Associated Press and the Los Angeles Times.
