Key Takeaways
- USA TODAY is asking a federal bankruptcy judge to unseal key records and keep Shilo Sanders’ upcoming trial open, arguing the public has a First Amendment right to follow a high-profile case involving more than $11 million in debt.
- The motion seeks a redacted transcript of a sealed July 14 hearing and access to rulings on what evidence can be used at the August 31 trial, where Sanders’ self-defense claim and possible use of juvenile and disciplinary records are central issues.
- Beyond the $11.89 million judgment won by former security guard John Darjean, Sanders’ bankruptcy also involves a trustee’s scrutiny of about $250,000 in NIL-related transfers, a Mercedes-Benz repossession bid, and a revived $170,000 legal-fees lawsuit from Barnes & Thornburg.
The courtroom fight over Shilo Sanders just got another player.
With Sanders' high-stakes bankruptcy trial approaching, USA TODAY has filed a motion asking a federal judge to unseal key court records and keep the proceedings open to the public. The filing comes after several recent hearings—including a July 14 pretrial conference—were held behind closed doors, with documents related to the case filed under seal.
The newspaper argues the public has a constitutional right to see what happens in a case involving a public figure trying to discharge more than $11 million in debt.
"The Court should not exclude the public from any portion of the trial herein unless and until the requisite findings have been made warranting the denial of the public's presumptive right of attendance under the First Amendment," the motion states.
Filed by Denver-based law firm Zansberg Beylkin LLC, the motion asks the bankruptcy court to release a redacted transcript of the sealed July 14 hearing, along with motions that determined what evidence will—and won't—be allowed at trial. According to the filing, many of the facts at issue have already been public for years, making continued secrecy difficult to justify.
The request follows a string of significant rulings from Judge Michael Romero, who recently set the ground rules for the August 31 trial. Romero ruled that expert testimony could be used to challenge Sanders' claim of self-defense and left open the possibility that some juvenile records containing "party admissions" could be admitted into evidence.
At the same time, he declined—for now—to exclude portions of Sanders' disciplinary history, writing that the court would address specific objections during trial.
The trial centers on whether Sanders can erase an $11.89 million judgment through Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Former Dallas school security guard John Darjean won that judgment by default in 2022 after alleging Sanders seriously injured him during a 2015 altercation over a cellphone.
Sanders has consistently maintained he acted in self-defense, but because he did not appear for trial, the judgment was entered against him.
The bankruptcy case has only grown more complicated since Sanders filed in 2023. A trustee is pursuing claims involving roughly $250,000 in disputed NIL-related transfers, Mercedes-Benz is seeking permission to repossess Sanders' vehicle over alleged missed payments, and Barnes & Thornburg has revived its lawsuit seeking approximately $170,000 in unpaid legal fees tied to its representation.
