PORTSMOUTH — Internal police reports, about Sgt. Aaron Goodwin's relationship with an elderly woman who left him most of her $2.7 million estate, will not be released to the public, per order of probate Judge Gary Cassavechia.

The judge issued the order stating that the internal reports will be given to all lawyers involved in a Strafford County Court case that alleges Goodwin exerted undue influence over the late Geraldine Webber, while she had dementia, to inherit her wealth. Goodwin has consistently denied the allegations and a civil probe is ongoing to determine the Police Department's involvement in the case.

Cassavechia approved an order endorsed by City Attorney Robert Sullivan and attorney David Eby that says the internal reports, and all references to them in depositions, shall remain under seal, to be viewed only by lawyers directly involved. The judge's order states that in the unlikely event that someone leaks the reports to an outside party, including the press, he "will not hesitate" to exercise his "criminal or civil contempt power as appropriate." The judge also noted that he has a legal obligation to report violations of attorney codes of conduct to appropriate disciplinary bodies.

In his denial of a request by attorney Paul McEachern, to make the internal police reports public, the judge said his orderdecision is based on a state Supreme Court case and the state legislature's decision that internal police reports merit "special treatment." The legislature has, for many years, considered internal police reports as exempt from the state's Right To Know Law and, the judge wrote, he may not "vary that determination."

Cassavechia's order is in response to a Feb. 11 court hearing when Goodwin's attorney, Charles Doleac, said Goodwin wants the internal police reports to be part of the court record, but objects to them being published by the media. Doleac said the Portsmouth Herald has published 260 articles about Goodwin's contested inheritance and "we haven't even got to the trial yet."

Sullivan also argued against public release of the internal police reports because of past coverage of the case by the Herald. He said he's read depositions taken for the case in the Herald before he received copies and said some people might be reluctant to complain about police officers in the future if they fear internal police reports about their complaints would be reported by the media.

The city attorney also characterized the internal police reports as "anti-climactic."

Eby argued for release of the reports on behalf of his clients, the Shriner's Hospital for Children and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, both of which contest Webber's last will and trust. Goodwin's inheritance diminished bequests to Eby's clients and others, according to the terms of Webber's 2009 will and her final will and trust.

It also diminished inheritances to the Portsmouth police and fire departments, both of which were designated to receive one-quarter of Webber's estate in her 2009 will, but were each reduced to $25,000 beneficiaries in her final will and trust.

Eby said he wanted the internal police reports in advance of depositions he's taking from several police officers on Feb. 26. He said the reports may shed light on "conflicting evidence" he's uncovered.

McEachern, who represents several of Webber's heirs, argued for public release of the reports, while also citing the conflicting evidence and a public interest in knowing whether or not an adequate internal police investigation was conducted, or if it was just "window dressing. He told Cassavechia that the media represents the public, which has a right to know if the case involves one "wrong officer," or if there was "a collective looking the other way" by many in the Police Department.

When he was deposed on Nov. 14, as part of the ongoing estate case, police Capt. Mike Schwartz said there was no internal investigation, that no interviews were conducted and that Capt. Frank Warchol took some memos from police officers and put them into the department's internal affairs "format."

But when he was deposed on Nov. 18, former Police Chief Lou Ferland said there was an internal investigation conducted by Warchol into allegations that Goodwin was "inappropriately using a police vehicle to visit with" Webber.