The Observation Deck

Frankly, the more I think about this public records request for citizen records, the more creeped-out I feel.

Who is next? Who is on the next list?

Why would the custodian of City records ever expedite the request when he knows that the requester had been terminated from his employment for intimidation of Lakewood residents? Creepy!!!

City officials know that the feds participated in that investigation. Weren't the postal inspectors involved?

Given the fact that citizens were intimidated previously, doesn't the City have an implicit duty to notify the citizens that a known harasser has requested their records?

Weird.

As I have said before, this is all going to blow-up in their faces.

To elaborate on just how creepy this really is:

This is the same individual that had his lawyer issue subpoenas last year to local residents about their First Amendment-protected on-line comments about City policy.

Each had to go to considerable legal expense and personal trouble to fight these improper subpoenas that were eventually quashed by the court.

So, each critic of City policy can ask themselves am I next?

Perhaps, that explains why the custodian of City records went to such great lengths to expedite the production of citizen police records to its former employee.

If that's really the case, then this is beyond creepy...

So, this is what we know:

The former City employee dismissed for intimidating residents gets expedited access to citizen police and other records.

However, if you want information about his conduct or misconduct as a public employee, your record request will be forthwith denied and you'll have to bring a lawsuit.

What's wrong with this picture? Plenty!

It's far beyond creepy.

It's active encouragement of harassment of citizens whose only crime is speaking out against injustice and illegal acts by their government officials.

I am given to understand that the city prosecutor's office falls under the direction of the city law director, the same law director who controls the flow of documents. I am also given to understand that the prosecutor's office declined to prosecute the same individual mentioned above on a couple of occasions. Please correct me if I'm wrong. If I'm not wrong I think this goes way beyond "creepy."

Yes.

Kevin Butler is responsible.

Let's HOLD him responsible.

Dan Alaimo wrote:I am given to understand that the city prosecutor's office falls under the direction of the city law director, the same law director who controls the flow of documents. I am also given to understand that the prosecutor's office declined to prosecute the same individual mentioned above on a couple of occasions. Please correct me if I'm wrong. If I'm not wrong I think this goes way beyond "creepy."

Not wrong.

Let's not forget, before City Hall he was working for Summers Campaign, and continued, some would say to this day, or so the letters would make it seem.


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Under what law would such a freedom of information request be denied? I don't believe the person making the request is under any sort of legal supervision. AFAIK, creepy is legal. Yes, it's creepy as hell.

Is submitting a freedom of information request to find "information" an act of intimidation? Is it intimidation when the person making the request has a history of acts of intimidation?

You might find the answer if you search "Ohio Attorney General Yellowbook" online.

This is the guide to Ohio Sunshine Laws. It's a PDF that you can download. The relevant exemptions are described in Chapter Three at Sections E and F.

I agree that the City could have used several discretionary exemptions to bar disclosure given their actual state of knowledge about their former employee.

The one thing that is quite amusing is that whatever records the city gave him are likely quite the disappointment, given that none of the people targeted are exactly anti-social citizens.

It must be as much of a letdown as the quashed subpoenas, the failed lawsuit, and the lack of success in identifying Buzz posters despite being given information from Steve Fitzgerald.

Oh, the irony!

Speak for yourself, Ms. Conant. I have citations for poor shrub care. As in more than one.

Oh DL, you are bad! Just think how that fact can be used against you!

But at least you don't send intimidating postcards to people who have opinions you don't like!

Of course, in the Lakewood reality we live in, that makes you one of Kevin Butler's best buds!

Here is a link to the Attorney General's manual on Open Government:

http://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/yellowbook

This is both a handy and a comprehensive reference on Ohio's Sunshine laws related to open government.

My light-hearted response deflects my horror that information about citizens is being given to a former city employee who was allowed to resign because he had lied on his job application. The Law department is aware of this. The Mayor is aware of this.

Who does this?

dl meckes wrote:My light-hearted response deflects my horror that information about citizens is being given to a former city employee who was allowed to resign because he had lied on his job application. The Law department is aware of this. The Mayor is aware of this.

Who does this?

DL

Actually he was given a second application when caught lying on the first I do believe.

He was allowed to resign when the Lakewood Police found him harassing and intimidating people that spoke out about Mayor Summers or the Hospital.

The list of records, mirrors the list of those harassed in the past, when he worked on the Mayor's campaign and at City Hall.

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