I'm quoting myself here because I'm a bit confused on the reasoning behind us not discussing an official document pertaining to this case. I understand that all redacted material would be off the board but to ignore it is ,imo, counterproductive to the whole purpose of why we're here (at least why I'm here).
Confused as well - reason has something to do with rules enforced by the owner/s of this site.
http://www.rcfp.org/rcfp/orders/docs/POLICE.pdf
Here's a long article that addresses the laws pertaining to accessing police records. The report begins by addressing the rights of the news media. The report contains a state-by-state guide to laws on the subject including those pertaining to the general public.
REPORTING COMMITTE for the FREEDOM of the PRESS, 2008
...."'Every once in a while you would see some arrest information come out, but I thought that came through the court system because news media have access to court records.'"
"Blumstein said the reason behind the case is the protection of the interest an individual holds in able to obtain employment, and not having an arrest that does not result in a criminal conviction hamper that interest."
The article addresses many points some of which are ~
- One's reputation is not a liberty or property interest protected by the Constitution.
- TN Public Records Act
- The right of the public to know about crime in their neighborhoods.
- The importance of court records to remain open to view convictions as well as innocent rulings.
- The possibility that libel suits can result if reported without verification.
"In most states, fair and accurate reports of the contents of official documents, including police records, are privileged. In those states, a news organization that accurately reports the content of an official police document containing false information cannot be held liable for the inaccuracies."
LAWS AND RULES GOVERN ACCESS
"The open records laws in most states guarantee that police records are open unless some specific exemption would allow officers to deny access to the information."
(lots more on this subject within the article)
STATE-BY-STATE GUIDE
South Carolina ~ "Police reports that disclose the nature, substance and location of any crime or alleged crime reported as having been committed are public." (S.C. Code given in article)
"Active investigation records may be sheltered from disclosure if the public disclosure of the records would interfere with a prospective law enforcement action." (S.C. Code given in article)
The report is twenty-four pages long and needs time and the ability to concentrate in order to digest all the information contained within. I tried to quickly gather some relevant points to contemplate and explore further if anyone is interested in doing so.