A longstanding policy by the Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court may violate state public records laws and the Constitution, an investigation by our media partners at The Advocate found.
That’s because the Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court’s Office maintains a policy that says they will not turn over violent crime records to the public without a signed order from a judge, the newspaper reports.
Attorneys and constitutional experts say the policy likely violates the state Constitution’s open courts and public records provisions, the state public records law and the First Amendment, The Advocate reports.
“The whole point when you have a serious criminal allegation is that it be out there for everybody to see to make sure the punishment is fair, that the trial is fair and that people can see the repercussions of bad behavior,” David Cuillier, director of the Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida, told the newspaper.
“There’s a lot of reasons why transparency is built into the criminal justice system,” he added. “What other government agencies out there can stop you on the sidewalk, can detain you, can throw you in a cell, can take away your children, can take your money, can take your life?”
Lynn Jones, the longtime elected clerk of court for Calcasieu Parish, the state’s seventh most populated parish, said nobody has previously questioned the policy. He said it’s meant to protect victims and juveniles, the newspaper reports.
To read the rest of the investigative piece, click here.
