Uvalde Hires Private Law Firm to Argue It Doesn't Have to Release School Shooting Public Records

[Nevilledog]

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https://www.vice.com/en/article/88q95p/uvalde-contracts-private-law-firm-to-argue-it-doesnt-have-to-release-school-shooting-public-records

The City of Uvalde and its police department are working with a private law firm to prevent the release of nearly any record related to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in which 19 children and two teachers died, according to a letter obtained by Motherboard in response to a series of public information requests we made. The public records Uvalde is trying to suppress include body camera footage, photos, 911 calls, emails, text messages, criminal records, and more.

“The City has not voluntarily released any information to a member of the public,” the city’s lawyer, Cynthia Trevino, who works for the private law firm Denton Navarro Rocha Bernal & Zech, wrote in a letter to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The city wrote the letter asking Paxton for a determination about what information it is required to release to the public, which is standard practice in Texas. Paxton's office will eventually rule which of the city's arguments have merit and will determine which, if any, public records it is required to release.

The letter makes clear, however, that the city and its police department want to be exempted from releasing a wide variety of records in part because it is being sued, in part because some of the records could include “highly embarrassing information,” in part because some of the information is “not of legitimate concern to the public,” in part because the information could reveal “methods, techniques, and strategies for preventing and predicting crime,” in part because some of the information may cause or may "regard … emotional/mental distress," and in part because its response to the shooting is being investigated by the Texas Rangers, the FBI, and the Uvalde County District Attorney.

The letter explains that Uvalde has at least one in-house attorney (whose communications it is trying to prevent from public release), and yet, it is using outside private counsel to deal with a matter of extreme importance and public interest. Uvalde’s city government and its police department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Motherboard.

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[MagickMuffin]

1. Well if it has to get Paxon's approval then I know who he'll side with

Hopefully the attorneys helping the families receive closure then perhaps they can argue for discovery. It boggles the mind this is the City's approach.


But whatever is decided we have witnesses with video of the lazy scaredy cats that had protection body armor but were unconcerned about unarmed innocent children.

[Sneederbunk]

2. So now the Texas taxpayer has to pay to defend cowardice and incompetence.

[Baitball Blogger]

7. +1

[moondust]

3. 'highly embarrassing' or incriminating?

Nonfeasance? Deliberate?

[inthewind21]

4. Emotional destress

You mean like 19 dead kids type of emotional distress?

[yonder]

5. This is rich:

"....because the information could reveal “methods, techniques, and strategies for preventing and predicting crime,”

[Baitball Blogger]

8. It's very simple. Everyone knows that an analysis will determine that future police forces should do

the opposite of what Uvalde did. So, roll the reels so we can take notes.

[empedocles]

6. Or stonewalling to protect/increase retirement benefits - for suspects

[renate]

9. This comes from the "whadda ya gonna do about it" attitude ushered in by the GOP

Norms are violated every day in every way now that it's become evident that malfeasance can just be denied. I'm surprised they even bothered to come up with a lame excuse instead of just saying "no, we're not going to release anything, and you can't make us. Sucks to be you."

[Withywindle]

10. They're hiding something EVEN WORSE than what we already know

which is terrifying considering how bad the things that are public knowledge are.