10:51 PM PST on Friday, February 19, 2010

By GENE GHIOTTO
The Press-Enterprise

A judge Friday ordered that five search warrants related to Tuesday’s Lake Elsinore recall election investigation be made public.

The ruling came despite statements from prosecutors that the release could hinder the probe into allegations of wrongdoing in the bid to unseat Councilman Thomas Buckley.

The documents dealt with Feb. 4 searches at the homes of Enelida Caron, who led the Committee to Recall Thomas Buckley; Michel Knight, operator of Trevi Entertainment Center; and Trevi.

Warrants also were issued for Lake Elsinore City Hall and the Wildomar home of political consultant John Burkett, who has been linked to the recall effort.

The documents are expected to be released on Monday.

In asking that the warrants be unsealed, Al Wickers, the attorney representing The Press-Enterprise, said the release of the documents is needed to help the Lake Elsinore voters know about the allegations in the documents prior to casting ballots to decide if Buckley should be recalled.

Deputy District Attorney Ivy Fitzpatrick, though, said the district attorney’s office wants to keep the documents confidential to preserve the integrity of the investigation and to protect evidence and witnesses.

“In this case, we need an extra layer of confidentiality,” Fitzpatrick said.

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