Media organizations ask judge to unseal JonBenet documents By Associated Press August 21, 2006 BOULDER — A group of media organizations on Monday asked a judge to unseal the arrest warrant and other documents involving John Mark Karr, who claims he was with JonBenet Ramsey when the 6-year-old girl was killed 10 years ago. Attorneys for the media noted that a federal judge who presided over a civil case stemming from the unsolved slaying said mistakes were made in the investigation. ''There is great public interest to learn whether the arrest of John Mark Karr solved the case after a decade or is yet another 'mistake,''' the filing said. ''Only with disclosure can the public evaluate the competency of the investigation that led to the issuance of the warrant.'' In an Aug. 15 order, Boulder County District Judge Roxanne Bailin ordered case documents sealed, saying disclosure could jeopardize the investigation. District attorney's spokeswoman Carolyn French did not immediately return an after-hours telephone message Monday. The media attorneys asked the judge to hold a hearing on their request, saying District Attorney Mary Lacy would have to prove that the case would be hurt by disclosure of the documents. ''It is difficult, if not impossible, to conceive how public disclosure of the facts that support probable cause for (Karr's) arrest would compromise further investigation into John Mark Karr's involvement in the crime or the involvement of any other person in the crime,'' the filing said. ''Any investigation that may be continuing does not, and legally cannot, affect the assertions of probable cause that formed the basis of the arrest warrant.'' The brief was filed on behalf of The Associated Press, The Denver Post, The (Boulder) Daily Camera, the Rocky Mountain News and two Denver stations, KCNC-TV and KDVR-TV. ''This is clearly a matter of great public interest, and after 10 years where clearly the reputation of Boulder law enforcement has come into question from Day 1, we think the public has the right to know on what basis this case was made,'' said John Temple, editor and publisher of the News. ''In a democracy, in an open society, there's scrutiny of public officials, and how can there be scrutiny without information?'' he said. The media attorneys said releasing the warrant and any supporting affidavits would not hamper the investigation into a killing whose sordid details have already been subjected to intense public scrutiny. Huge volumes of information about the slaying, ranging from autopsy photos and a coroner's report to transcripts of testimony from related civil cases, have been released by the courts or leaked to the media since JonBenet's father, John Ramsey, found her body in the family's basement Dec. 26, 1996. If Bailin decides against releasing the full documents, the filing asked her to consider releasing edited versions with information crucial to law enforcement officials blacked out. ''The burden will be on the district attorney to prove the necessity for continued sealing of the records at issue by more than mere conclusory assertions,'' the filing said. http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_4934127,00.html
'as yet ANOTHER mistake' lolololo Should read, 'as yet another mistaken documentary in the making.' I'm sure Woody dictates Lacy every move to her.
Let a talking head go through the entire autopsy on TV. The Heads need to spend the time reading the ransom note outloud. The Heads need to mention Tracey's criminal catching track record and how much MONEY Tracey makes for his bogus documentaries.
Reply from BDA Response to the Daily Camera's public records request August 22, 2006 Ms. Christine Reid Boulder Daily Camera P.O. Box 591 Boulder, CO 80306-0591 Re: Your Request For Records dated August 17, 2006 Dear Ms. Reid: You requested the following records: 1. Every expense connected with the JonBenet Ramsey Murder investigation since December 2002; 2. Any investigative report relating to the arrest of John Mark Karr; 3. E-mails pertaining to the investigation between our office and Lou Smit, Michael Tracey, and L. Lin Wood; and 4. Phone records for the office for the last three months, which I assume is, like your other requests, for such records with regard to the Ramsey investigation. You made your request under the Colorado Open Records Act, sections 24-72-201 through 24-72-205, C.R.S. However, the records you requested numbered 2, 3, and 4 above involve a criminal investigation and prosecution. Such criminal justice records are excluded from the Open Records Act, See, § 24-72-202(6)(b)(I), C.R.S., and are covered instead by the Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act. I must at this time deny your requests numbered 2, 3, and 4 under our discretion pursuant to § 24-72-305(1)(b) and (5), C.R.S. because these records involve the ongoing investigation into Mr. Karr and it would not be in the public interest to disclose those records at this time. As District Attorney Lacy said last week, our investigation into Mr. Karr is continuing and there remains work to be done. It is crucial that people we interview provide information that is as accurate as possible, unaffected by influences other than their best recollections. We must exercise our discretion with appropriate regard for protecting the integrity of our investigation, protecting the rights of Mr. Karr, and protecting the integrity of any future court proceedings. The Court has sealed the affidavit and other documents submitted to it in connection with the arrest warrant for Mr. Karr. We strongly believe that the only appropriate avenue is for the investigation and the judicial process to run their courses and for evidence related to this investigation to be revealed at the appropriate time in the appropriate forum. With regard to the expenses to date, as I explained in a letter dated July 14, 2003, to Amy Hebert for the Daily Camera in response to her request for an accounting of the money and time spent by our office investigating the Ramsey case at that time, we do not generally account for expenditures by the case and, in particular, we do not keep track of the hours or the amount of an employee’s pay attributable to particular cases. Nonetheless, in response to your request, we have identified the following expenses arising from the Ramsey investigation since December 2002 of which we are currently aware: YEAR 2002 None 2003 Travel expenses, including airfare, gas, car rental, food, and hotel $ 2,265.63 Professional services $ 875.00 Operating supplies $ 668.44 Office supplies $ 525.30 Clerical hourly wages $ 336.55 Investigator hourly wages [1] $ 11,606.79 Total $ 16,277.71 2004 Travel expenses, including airfare, hotel and food $ 821.44 2005 None 2006 Travel expenses, including airfare, hotel, and food $ 1,406.27 Professional services $ 2,400.00 Federal Express $ 47.76 Investigator hourly wages $ 4,076.85 Total $ 7,930.88 Dec. , 2002 - Aug. 17, 2006: Total $ 25,030.03 [1] Some of this investigator time was spent on other cases, but we have no way to itemize the hours among cases. Sincerely, William F. Nagel Assistant District Attorney -###- Barbara Halpin Boulder County Public Information Officer bhalpin@co.boulder.co.us 303-441-1622 http://www.co.boulder.co.us/newsroom/templates/?a=556&z=13
