Jackson Free Press

If you want to see an example of the arrogance and obfuscation the media faces in filing public records requests, see Sarah O'Reilly Evans. In comments made to WJTV the day before the settlement was announced, City Attorney Sarah O'Reilly Evans complained about how many requests the media made. She said that The Clarion-Ledger had only sued because the mayor tore apart records requests, which she called "a knee-jerk reaction," and not because there was a problem "with the flow of documents."

She said that a request for information on Mayor Melton's trip to the Bahamas was filled on May 17. The Clarion-Ledger reported that this information was not released until June 1, and then it was released to WJTV, which had not requested the information. She said that a request for police inventory, which was also listed in the suit, was not filled because The Clarion-Ledger "did not want it" until it was complete.

The absurdity of her remarks reaches its height when she says that a records request filed by Melton during the campaign has still not yet been filled. Um. Uh. How is that a defense when Melton now RUNS the clerk's office?

Previous Comments

ID

172433

Comment

You just gotta see this. By the way, I didn't put it in the story, but this interview also shows why it is that television news cannot be trusted to cover the city. It is obvious that the reporter conducting the interview for WJTV has done no homework on the issue at all, and so she lets Evans answer with irrelevant protests. She expresses obliging wonder at the number of the requests the city has to fill, and when Evans says things that just don't make sense, like the claim that the city actually filled the Bahamas-related request on May 17, (then why is it listed in the law suit?), she lets it go without asking a followup. It's deliciously painful to watch.

Author

Brian C Johnson

Date

2006-06-04T19:29:37-06:00

ID

172434

Comment

Brian, that is a really wacky interview. I don't know who comes across worst -- the reporter or the city attorney. I can't believe O'Reilly-Evans' comments. There is nothing more ridiculous than whining about all the efforts this city has supposedly made to answer public-records request while pointing to a stack of papers. The reason they have so many written requests is that they refuse to answer even the most basic of questions and have put the fear of Melton into employees, telling them not to tell anyone anything. They tell people to put in official requests for the least little things -- and then she has the nerve to whine about the requests they get. Amazing. Is this woman really, truly the *city attorney*?

Author

ladd

Date

2006-06-04T21:49:58-06:00

ID

172435

Comment

ladd-have some sympathy. What if your job was trying to justify what the fool/clown Melton was doing on a daily basis?

Author

pneville

Date

2006-06-05T06:43:54-06:00