Pima County Stonewalling AZ Republic Over Documents Related To Loughner (UPDATED)
Where is WikiLeaks when you need ’em:
Sheriff’s Department and community-college officials in Pima County are refusing to release a wide range of public documents about the man charged in Saturday’s shooting rampage that left six dead and more than a dozen wounded.
The Arizona Public Records Law requires that records be “open to inspection by any person at all times” unless officials can prove releasing the information would violate rights of privacy or confidentiality or otherwise harm the best interests of the state.
How about the “best interests” of Sheriff Dumbass’s political career?
On Monday, The Republic requested copies of any reports from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department involving contacts with Loughner or calls to his house. Pima County Deputy Rene Carlson said her office would not release the reports without a specific date, though this is not required by state statute.
This to me is somewhat revealing. It could possibly indicate that the Pima County Sheriff has had more contact with Loughner and his family than they have let on in the past few days (the NY Times has reported multiple police visits to the home prior to the rampage) and maybe even had some evidence that he was planning the massacre. I understand that there are multiple different law enforcement agencies that in play here (local police, sheriff, and campus cops, etc.) that don’t always necessarily communicate effectively, but still the unwillingness to release certain documents (which are fairly mundane) give the impression that the Pima County Sheriff has something to hide.
UPDATE 1/12/10 4:17 pm EST: The Pima County Sheriff’s office has reversed course and released records pertaining to Loughner. According to the AZ Republic, Loughner on at least two occasions called the police HIMSELF, in regards to his belief his identity was stolen and somebody “sticking him with a pen” while he was in high school. In another incident it appears he had his stomach pumped after he drank too much. The police were also frequently at the Loughner home, usually related to the family complaining about their neighbors.
I do not know if this is everything that the Pima County Sheriff has on Loughner and if they are withholding more information. However, it i s clear that law enforcement in the area had a significant amount of contact with the family, especially over the last five years.
UPDATE 1/12/10 6:26pm EST: Pima Community College has released records pertaining to Loughner. He had four incidents in which he dealt with campus police in 2010 alone. Strangely, one of them involved a pilates class.
Category: Liberals suck
The local cops, the campus cops and the college are all hiding behind the FBI, too. They’ve missed several self-imposed deadlines for the release of documents related to their “visits” to the Loughner household each time blaming the FBI.
If there is a silver lining, the information will eventually come out, one way or another.
I guess I can’t blame sheriff Fife there. If the records show that your department was negligent (which would make the line of lawsuits go around the corner); would you want to show them? Especially after you ran your fuckin piehole about political rhetoric be to blame?
No, Claymore, those records will join Jimmy Hoffa. They will make those records disappear in order to stave off all the lawsuits for negligence.
Two separate legal issues at work here. I’m no lawyer though, but seems to me that what comes out of the criminal investigation includes the mandatory investigation of the investigation which insures the evidence is unimpeachable.
That secondary investigation is the stuff of fantastically expensive civil suits, either as a class action, or individually. If found negligent in any way, the good Sheriff’s electoral chances hinge on the timing of when these suits are brought. When they are done with him, he may not even be able to patrol Wal-mart.
My guess is every ambulance chaser in the greater Tuscon area is already sharpening their knives and making contact with the families of the victims.
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You’ve got that right, DaveO
It appears that the Pima County Sheriff’s Department had more contact with Loughner than Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh combined.
I firmly believe there is more incriminating type stuff to be found, but I equally firmly believe the PCSO is only going to release as much information as necessary to get the heat off their own back’s at this point.
Adirondack Patriot Says:
January 12th, 2011 at 5:45 pm
“It appears that the Pima County Sheriff’s Department had more contact with Loughner than Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh combined.”
Dude, you have the quote of the decade, right there…
I just read this at FOXNews.com: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/01/12/pima-county-sheriffs-department-releases-loughner-records/
For the left to try to profile him into the right wing faction, is ludicrous. I did note however, that he profiles closely with one Kyle Barwan. 1. Both are Societal losers. 2. Both can’t travel without their drug stuff. 3. Both have been (?)”falsely”(?) put online. 4. Both are butt ugly in the face. 5. Both are totally clueless.
Sooo, should we put Barwan in a straight jacket so he cannot shoot up some people some place?