Mayor and Chief of Police violate Arkansas Freedom of Information Act - Judge orders records to be tuned over in 24 hours; they now face contempt citation for failing to provide all records

The Mayor and Police Chief are headed for another Contempt of Court hearing

The first hearing in a series of four lawsuits (click here to view the complaint) we filed against the Mayor and Police Chief was held this past Tuesday.

Before any testimony was given and any evidence was introduced, Judge Herbert Wright ordered the city to provide us with the public records they denied us last summer by 5 p.m. the following day.

Judge Herbert Wright

They provided some records, but not all and now face contempt charges. Click here to view our motion for contempt.

In June 2019. we requested the non-exempt portion of personnel files for all LRPD uniformed and plain clothed, non-undercover officers. The city of Little Rock only provided 79 files. At the time they had 529 non-undercover officers.

In an article that appeared in the local on-line newspaper, the city attorney Tom Carpenter was quoted as saying he "did not know why records were not provided" to us back in June 2019. That is an out and out lie. We can prove it.

Take a listen and hear City Attorney Carpenter clearly tell our publisher why and who is the culprit for the violation of the law.

Yep, you heard him, it was none other that Human Resource Director Stacey Witherell.

Stacey Witherell - City of Little Rock HR Director

Arkansas law provides removal for AFOIA scofflaw like Mayor Scott when a finding of "nonfeasance in office" has been adjudicated for a willful and knowing violation of the AFOIA.

The Arkansas Attorney General has explained this in one of her Opinions.

Stay tuned for updates.

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Links to the other three AFOIA denial of rights lawsuits:

AFOIA Complaint #2

AFOIA Complaint #3

AFOIA Complaint #4

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