A California judge has refused Allstate Insurance Company’s request to seal portions of evidence in the post-Hurricane Katrina trial Weiss v. Allstate. U.S. District Judge Sara Vance rejected the claim to secrecy thanks in part to convincing arguments presented by Public Justice, a public interest law firm based in Washington, D.C. Attorneys for Allstate argued that the evidence, procedure manuals for making payouts to hurricane victims, would be prejudicial against the corporation in later lawsuits filed by survivors. Public Justice, along with the Foundation for Taxpayers and Consumer Rights (FTRC) countered that the documents provide valuable insight for consumers and are vital to educating the public about potential abuse by Allstate. Read more about this issue at Ana Maria’s blog here.