SAN DIEGO - A trial for the divorce of outgoing Padres owners John and Rebecca Moores was rescheduled on Tuesday from next month to March 15, and portions of it might be closed to the public.
At a hearing to discuss various evidentiary issues, Family Court Judge Lorna Alksne informed the lawyers for both sides that she was reassigned to another courthouse during December to cover for an ill colleague. Trial and vacation schedules for the lawyers early next year meant the first time available for the Moores case was mid-March.
Sandra Joan Morris, who represents Rebecca Moores, told Alksne that the Moores' business affairs could necessitate a portion of the trial being closed to the public.
"There are some issues, commercial information and trade secrets, that should be protected," Morris said.
David Noonan, John Moores' lawyer, agreed.
The lawyers are working under what Morris called a "broad confidentiality agreement" that prevents them from, among other things, speaking to the media about the case.
Morris said the agreement has hampered her ability to file motions and other court documents.
John Moores controls a number of firms, including JMI Realty, which developed the neighborhood around Petco Park; JMIR Guaranty, which extends credits to his development projects; and NEON Enterprise Software, a Texas firm that is developing computer software.
Noonan said the companies had "competitively sensitive issues."
Neither lawyer stated it specifically, but the implication was that if documents or court testimony on such issues were available to the public, including competitors, then the firms would be placed at a disadvantage.
According to court documents, Rebecca Moores contends her estranged husband has had an affair for as many as five years with a former San Diego gynecologist who is now believed to be living in Houston, where John Moores has relocated.
The lawyers did not refer to any personal relationships when discussing closing part of the trial or the confidentiality agreement during the hearing.
The divorce case forced the sale of the Moores' majority stake in the Padres to a group headed by former player agent Jeff Moorad. The sale is being completed in phases that is expected to take two years.
The judge scheduled the next hearing for Nov. 25 to go through more evidentiary issues.
