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The long strongarm of the law: Public-defender group sues State Police for withholding what it says are public documents
By adamg on Sat, 10/14/2023 - 11:42am
The Committee for Public Counsel Services yesterday sued State Police for refusing to hand over what the group says are public records on everything from criminal cases against troopers to information on trooper use of software that turns phones into surveillance tools.
In a lawsuit filed in Suffolk Superior Court yesterday, the Boston-based public defender group says State Police have either refused to turn over information or delayed responding to information requests for as long as two years - rather than within the required 10 days.
The group says State Police ignored some specific requests even after the Secretary of State's office, which oversees public-records requests in Massachusetts, intervened on its side.
Among the records the group is seeking is information on civil lawsuits and criminal cases involving state troopers, copies of contracts with State Police unions and arbitration decisions, information about the State Police of two systems that turn phones into surveillance systems, data about cases in which troopers had to turn over information to defense attorneys that might help their clients, information about the North Worcester County Drug Task Force and the State Police gang unit and information about trooper barrack assignments.
CPCS is seeking an order that would both require State Police to hand over the requested information - or valid reasons why it would be exempt from disclosure - and to agree to stop the alleged delaying tactics in the future.
Free tagging:
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
 Complete complaint | 649.37 KB |
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Comments
The State Police doesn't have
The State Police doesn't have to comply with the law, you can tell by just looking at their uniforms.
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
It's definitely cool and normal that the body nominally charged with upholding the law has repeatedly disobeyed the Secretary of State's office. Between this, the overtime theft by Troop E, the Troop F payroll scandal, and changing arrest reports for the powerful (Alli Bibaud anyone?), it's amazing anyone gives them the benefit of the doubt anymore.
STATE POLICE PUBLIC RECORDS
where. is the Secretary of State, Supervisor of Public Records, Attorney General, Governor of the Commonwealth, State Senators, Representatives ??
How long must the citizens tolerate this flagrant abuse of power?
What are they hiding?
Good
But why now? I'm always curious know nefarious activity goes on for years then one day a lawsuit.
Our law enforcement has been militarized since at least the Patriot Act. It shouldn't be, neither should it be refunded.
Correction: Don't DEFUND police
My original post "Don't REFUND" was a typo. De-militarize but don't defund. Law enforcement is obviously vital for a civilized society.
How are you Trooper Whoever? Same old, same old.
Lately I realized there had not been reports of other criminal or at least illegal acts of state police.
Question is whether the current governor, unlike the previous do nothing governor, will intervene. Or are there issues with the state police that make it seem more like the FBI under Hoover?
Same old indeed
The Department of the State Police is under the direct control of the Massachusetts Attorney General and reports to the AG.
The person who was the AG the past 8 years during which the State Police refused to release public records, is now the Governor, who has already been called out for breaking her election promises re transparency and public records.
For the State Police these are good times.
Bharani Padmanabhan MD PhD
Brookline MA
Is that correct?
This is mostly a quibble, since I am also dubious about Healey’s pledges of transparency, both as AG and now as governor, but…
I don’t think the AG is in the MA State Police chain of command - they’re organized under the MA Executive Office of Public Safety and Security which is run by a Commissioner appointed directly by the Governor.