Judge orders Palin e-mails preserved

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (CNN) - An Alaska judge Friday ordered Gov. Sarah Palin and her office to preserve e-mails from personal accounts that involve state business.

The order came in response to a lawsuit from an Alaska activist and Palin critic, filed October 1. The plaintiff, Andree McLeod, argued that the recent hacking of one of the governor's private e-mail accounts was an "imminent threat" to public documents and accused the governor - now the Republican vice presidential candidate - of using the accounts to evade the state Public Records Act.

Anchorage Superior Court Judge Craig Stowers granted the order after a hearing Friday morning.