As if there weren't enough things already wrong with the case of the West Memphis Three, it appears that the Arkansas Supreme Court doesn't have to follow the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. Mara Leveritt, of the Arkansas Times, details her attempts to get actual court documents regarding the case from Leslie Steen, the clerk for the state Supreme Court. Steen apparently won't release the information, because he sealed it up, despite the fact that there's no court order or state statute allowing him to do so.
Leveritt relates that Steen told her that he's always done things that way, and that no one has ever stopped him. She concludes by saying, "I believe that the Arkansas Supreme Court is in violation of this state's Freedom of Information Act and that its own clerk is violating an administrative order that every other court clerk is obliged to obey. Like so much about this case, it's a shame."
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Leveritt relates that Steen told her that he's always done things that way, and that no one has ever stopped him. She concludes by saying, "I believe that the Arkansas Supreme Court is in violation of this state's Freedom of Information Act and that its own clerk is violating an administrative order that every other court clerk is obliged to obey. Like so much about this case, it's a shame."
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Does not surprise me. I’m from Arkansas and that’s the basic mentality of goverment officals. I’m going to do whatever the hell I want and it doesn’t matter if its legal or not. That’s how we do things around here and by God, that’s how its gonna stay.