CWN Editor's Note: A federal judge in Wisconsin has rejected an effort by the US Department of Justice to reopen sealed files from the bankruptcy case of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

The Justice Department had asked for access to records involving the settlement of claims with sex-abuse victims, in connection with an investigation into how religious leaders handled abuse complaints. Lawyers for the archdiocese objected to what they termed a "fishing expedition," and said that victims had been promised the files would remain confidential.

Judge G. Michael Halfenger sided with the archdiocese, saying that the prosecutors had failed to make a persuasive case, and emphasized the difficulties involved in reopening the files and securing the assent of victims. "The sheer magnitude of the State's request is staggering," he wrote.