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86 U. Cin. L. Rev. 139 (2018)
Public Access to Police Body Camera Footage - It's Still Not Crystal Cleir

handle is hein.journals/ucinlr86 and id is 147 raw text is: 




  PUBLIC   ACCESS TO POLICE BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE-IT'S
                    STILL   NOT   CRYSTAL CLEIR

                    Jack  Greiner* and Darren  Ford**

                              INTRODUCTION

   In December   2016, the Ohio  Supreme  Court released decisions in two
 momentous public records cases.I The first decision involved video
 footage  from  the  dashboard   cameras  of  two  state  highway   patrol
 officers.2 In that case, the Court held that the majority of information
 recorded by the cameras  was  a public record, and not exempt  under  the
 exceptions  for certain  types  of law  enforcement   and  prosecutorial
 records.3
   The   second  decision  involved  video footage  from   a police  body
 camera, but the Court's holding  did not establish whether the footage at
 issue was a public record.4 Rather, the Court addressed only whether  the
 Hamilton   County   Prosecuting   Attorney  had  unreasonably delayed
 release of the  body  camera   footage,  which  captured  University  of
 Cincinnati officer Ray Tensing  shooting  Samuel  Dubose.'  Because   the
 Hamilton  County  Prosecuting  Attorney  released the video shortly after
 suit was filed, the Court concluded   that the case was  moot,  and  that
 assuming  the footage was a public record, the delay between the request
 and ultimate release was reasonable.6
   In January  2017, Cincinnati Police arrested Cincinnati Bengal  Adam
Jones   for  assault and   disorderly  conduct.7  Though   body-cameras
recorded  much   of the incident in a nine-minute  video,  the Cincinnati
Police Department   (CPD)  did not release the entire recording until after

      * Adjunct Professor of Law, University of Cincinnati College of Law, Partner, Graydon Head &
Ritchey, LLP, J.D., University of Notre Dame.
      ** Associate, Graydon Head & Ritchey, LLP, J.D., University of Cincinnati College of Law.
      1. State ex rel. Cincinnati Enquirer v. Ohio Dept. of Pub. Safety, 148 Ohio St.3d 433, 2016-
Ohio-7987, 71 N.E.3d 258; State ex rel. Cincinnati Enquirer v. Deters, 148 Ohio St.3d 595, 2016-Ohio-
8195, 71 N.E.3d 1076.
      2. State ex rel. Cincinnati Enquirer v. Ohio Dept. of Pub. Safety, 148 Ohio St.3d 433, 2016-
Ohio-7987, 71 N.E.3d 258.
      3. Id. at 150.
      4. State ex rel. Cincinnati Enquirer v. Deters, 148 Ohio St.3d 595, 2016-Ohio-8195, 71 N.E.3d
1076,121.
      5. Id. at 122.
      6. Id. at TJ 21-22.
      7. Kevin Grasha and Cameron Knight, Adam 'Pacman' Jones Pleads, Police Release Full
Arrest     Video,     CINCINNATI     ENQUIRER,     May       16,     2017,
https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2017/05/16/adam-pacman-jones-pleads-obstructing-
police/324744001/. The case was filed in Hamilton County, Ohio. The case number was /17/CRB/132
[hereinafter Jones Pleads].


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