Wisconsin AG Draws Line Between Access to Police, Prosecutor Records

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The Wisconsin Attorney General’s office said that police departments cannot deny access to records simply because a matter is under investigation or has been referred to prosecutors.  The opinion said that a 1991 State Supreme Court ruling that exempted prosecution files from the public records law did not apply to records held by the police department. Police, in considering records requests, must weigh potential harm of disclosure against the state’s high standard of openness, the opinion said. (11/27/07)