Publisher jailed after making public records request
The North Georgia publisher was arrested and jailed overnight last week on a felony charge after filing an open records request.
Click here for reuse options!Fannin Focus publisher Mark Thomason, along with his attorney Russell Stookey, were arrested on Friday and charged with attempted identity fraud and identity fraud. Thomason was also accused of making a false statement in his records request.
Thomason’s relentless pursuit of public records relating to the local Superior Court has incensed the court’s chief judge, Brenda Weaver, who also chairs the state Judicial Qualifications Commission. Weaver took the matter to the district attorney, who obtained the indictments.
Thomason was charged June 24 with making a false statement in an open-records request in which he asked for copies of checks “cashed illegally.” Thomason and Stookey were also charged with identity fraud and attempted identity fraud because they did not get Weaver’s approval before sending subpoenas to banks where Weaver and another judge maintained accounts for office expenses. Weaver suggested that Thomason may have been trying to steal banking information on the checks.
But Thomason said he was “doing his job” when he asked for records.
“I was astounded, in disbelief that there were even any charges to be had,” said Thomason, 37, who grew up in Fannin County. “I take this as a punch at journalists across the nation that if we continue to do our jobs correctly, then we have to live in fear of being imprisoned.”
Copyright 2016 Liberaland
3 responses to Publisher jailed after making public records request
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labman57 July 4th, 2016 at 18:35
Methinks the judge doth protest too much.
All she managed to do was increase the scrutiny and make it a national story.
amersham1046 July 4th, 2016 at 18:57
I hope some makes a federal case about it
burqa July 4th, 2016 at 19:36
Well, the publisher will get his day in court and can explain what he did and we’ll see whether he is innocent or guilty as charged.
Where I live is a kook who has a website where he covers local affairs and purports to be doing “journalism.” This kook stands in front of people, inches from their faces with a movie camera as they emerge from public meetings. He shouts questions at them and follows them all the way to their cars.
He also follows public officials around on the road and in stores. If they are having a private conversation on public property he will sidle over and poke a microphone at them, trying to record their conversation.
Years ago he discovered the Freedom of Information Act and showers public officials with requests for emails, letters and other documents that often do not exist.
The sheriff lets him alone because on his website he’s always kissing sheriff butt.
In this case, it seems foolish to come to conclusions with so little information to go on and a court date coming up. At trial both sides can give their story, the facts will come out and can be cross-examined, as well as witnesses. That would be the time to come to conclusions, not now.
This could be a case of a publisher investigating corruption or someone abusing the systemn to harass a judge he doesn’t like – – – or something else.