Today's host on Community Matters is Laura Sumner Coon.
The topic is Open Records and the people’s right to know. This is a current issue in Racine with a reluctance by the DA to release records to the public, especially when there is excessive force or a death caused by law enforcement.
Laura's guests are Megan Zienkiewicz, a retired attorney who formerly traveled around the state teaching public defenders about their rights and those of their clients to open records under state law. She did spend some time working in the Racine office as well. CJ Rouse, a Racine alderman, will also join us. He is preparing a city ordinance that would require law enforcement to release body, dash and surveillance camera video to the public within a brief period. It is modeled after an ordinance in Akron, OH that requires release within 7 days. Ironically, a young black man was shot 60 times by Akron police a week ago. The body camera footage has been released to the public.