Judge dismisses Arkansas AG’s FOIA lawsuit against prison board
A Central Arkansas judge dismissed Attorney General Tim Griffin’s lawsuit against the State Board of Corrections, ruling that the AG’s office failed to make good faith efforts to comply with a prior court order to collaborate on legal representation. The judge criticized the prolonged litigation as a waste of taxpayer money, noting that Griffin’s staff refused to engage with the Board’s chosen outside counsel despite explicit instructions to resolve the conflict through statutory procedures. The core issue revolved around whether the Board of Corrections legally retained special counsel, Abtin Mehdizadegan, to represent them during a broader power struggle with the Governor and former Corrections Secretary. By refusing to communicate with the appointed attorney and dismissing the Board’s efforts to certify their need for independent legal representation, the AG’s office violated state mandates requiring cooperation. The court determined that the AG’s office improperly ignored these responsibilities, rendering the lawsuit against the Board unfounded and procedurally flawed. This case is relevant to open data and transparency because it highlights the friction between executive legal power and statutory public access laws. The original complaint alleged violations of the Freedom of Information Act, specifically regarding executive sessions and public records. When legal battles prioritize internal jurisdictional disputes over public accountability, resources are diverted from ensuring government operations remain visible and accessible to citizens, undermining the principles of transparency that open data frameworks aim to protect.
Source: ualrpublicradio.orgPublished on 2024-01-24