A judge in Bellaire, Michigan has ordered state prosecutors to release certain documents used as evidence against several men charged with aiding a plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. The order came after videographer and freelance journalist Eric VanDussen filed a lawsuit following the rejection of his public records request by the attorney general’s office. VanDussen, who is working on a documentary about political extremism, sought the records for his project. The state argued that releasing the documents could interfere with ongoing law enforcement proceedings and potentially impact an upcoming trial. However, Judge James Redford of the Court of Claims noted that the exhibits in question had already been introduced in open court, during a public hearing, in a public trial, and in a public courthouse. Redford ruled that the records cannot be shielded under Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act. The documents sought by VanDussen have already been used in other court proceedings, the judge added. There was no immediate comment from the attorney general’s office.
Author: Ryan Scott
Just a guy
