Plano Police Department Lawyers Up

Plano PD has lawyered up on the Tray B’s DWI case. I filed an open records request seeking emails, communications, documents on any internal investigation, inter alia, to confirm or deny the story. The City of Plano is asking the Attorney General for permission to keep these documents secret. Allegedly, three officers conspired with Mr. B’s wife to set him up for DWI.

The government always chooses the path of least disclosure. The City of Plano is no different.

When the story broke Plano City Attorney Dianne Wetherbee said the officers conducted themselves in an appropriate manner involving the incident. Now the City Attorney is pleading with the Attorney General for permission to keep these records secret. If, as Mr. Wetherbee stated, these officers conducted themselves appropriately then why not release the records?

I will report the truth. If these officers did nothing wrong the public (or at least those who read IWTS) will know they are wrongly accused.

The City of Plano implies that I may be an agent for Mr. B’s attorney, Don Tittle. I have never met with Mr. B or Mr. Tittle. I am not using the open records process to subvert discovery. I am acting merely as an interested criminal justice commentator.

I respect the City of Plano’s plea to attorney-client privilege. However, I find it sadly ironic that DWI enforcement officers are invoking their right to counsel. DWI enforcement has gutted Constitutional protections, including the right to counsel for the rest of us.

We need to strengthen open records laws and require disclosure in cases involving possible illegal acts by government. By destroying our Constitutional protections we are all in danger of government malfeasance. Open records are the public’s last hope to keep the government… honest.

Labels: DWI, open records