Godfrey v. Bedford County
Case Number: 1090-2025
Court: Bedford County Court of Common Pleas
Clients: Calvin Godfrey and 138 Pictures
Background: In July 2025, journalist and documentary producer Calvin Godfrey and production company 138 Pictures submitted a public records request seeking, among other things, 911 recordings and transcripts related to a 2020 shooting of civil rights activists marching in Bedford County, Pennsylvania.
Bedford County denied Godfrey’s request for the 911 records, stating they are exempt from disclosure under Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law. Godfrey appealed the denial to the Office of Open Records.
In a position statement submitted to the OOR, Bedford County argued in part that although the public records law permits the release of 911 recordings when an agency or court determines that the public interest in access to the requested records outweighs the reasons for nondisclosure, the OOR doesn’t have jurisdiction to overrule the county’s decision to withhold them.
The OOR issued its final determination in October 2025. In its ruling siding with Bedford County, the OOR acknowledged “the existence of a public interest in the disclosure of the requested information,” but it concluded that it cannot compel an agency to disclose the records due to public interest.
On behalf of Godfrey and 138 Pictures, Paula Knudsen Burke, the Pennsylvania Local Legal Initiative attorney for the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, filed this lawsuit, urging the Bedford County Court of Common Pleas to determine that the public interest warrants the disclosure of the requested records and order their release.
Filings:
2025-10-09: OOR final determination
2025-11-07: Petition for review