New Mexico Supreme Court limits shielding of police records
SANTA FE – The state’s open records law doesn’t create a blanket exception for shielding law enforcement records that are related to an ongoing criminal investigation, the New Mexico Supreme Court said Tuesday.
The court’s unanimous decision came in a case involving a records request by the brother of James Boyd, who was shot and killed by Albuquerque police in 2014. The shooting sparked protests and was among the cases of excessive force that resulted in a series of court-ordered police reforms.
The court said when adopting the provision that shields certain records from disclosure, lawmakers were concerned about specific information that is exempt from the Inspection of Public Records Act. That includes records that reveal confidential sources, methods of investigation and individuals accused but not charged with a crime.
The law requires the records custodian to separate the nonexempt law enforcement information and make it available for public inspection, the court ruled.
Read more: https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/local/2020/07/14/new-mexico-supreme-court-limits-shielding-police-records/5439155002/
(Las Cruces Sun-News)