Gray Media Group, Inc. v. Comanche County Facilities Authority
Court: Oklahoma Supreme Court
Date Filed: June 18, 2025
Background: In January 2024, KSWO-TV filed a request under the Oklahoma Open Records Act for surveillance video surrounding Keith Bradley’s death inside the Comanche County Detention Center. According to KSWO, Bradley was one of six inmates who died in the jail in 2023.
The CCDC denied the request, arguing that doing so would pose a potential security risk. The jail also claimed that it is considered a law enforcement agency and that it operates as a public trust, so it is not required to release the footage under the open records law.
KSWO challenged the records request denial in court. In October, the Comanche County District Court sided with the CCDC, ruling that it is a law enforcement agency under the ORA and that the public’s interest in viewing the video does not outweigh the reason for denial. KSWO appealed to the Oklahoma Supreme Court.
Our Position: The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, joined by seven news media organizations, filed a friend-of-the-court brief urging the court to reverse the lower court’s decision and hold that the CCDC is not a law enforcement agency under the ORA. Alternatively, the court should hold that the release of the records is nevertheless required under the statute because disclosure is in the public interest.
- Jail trusts are not law enforcement agencies under the ORA, and to hold otherwise would subvert the intent of the ORA to preserve the public’s right to know about its government.
- Access to jail records allows for oversight and is in the public interest.
From the Brief: “The government’s arguments here, if accepted, would threaten the ability of the press and public to inform Oklahomans about important matters relating to incarceration facilities. Such a result would run counter to the ORA’s purpose.”
Related: In Frontier Media Group, Inc. v. Pottawatomie County Public Safety Center Trust, a Reporters Committee attorney helped The Frontier obtain jail records related to an Oklahoma man’s death following a violent struggle with jailers in 2019.