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63 °F Forecast | Road Cams Saturday, March 5, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend March 4, 2005 Newspaper wants 9-1-1 crash tapes By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune The Mail Tribune is suing operators of Southern Oregon’s leading emergency dispatch service for access to 9-1-1 transcripts of a fatal Feb. 11 car crash in downtown Medford. The complaint, filed Thursday in Jackson County Circuit Court, seeks public records held by Southern Oregon Regional Communications that detail law enforcement activity surrounding the incident. A hearing is set for March 14. The newspaper is asking a judge to direct SORC to release the transcripts, effectively overturning denial of a public records request issued by SORC Director Millie Tirapelle and upheld by two local district attorneys. Tribune Editor Bob Hunter said the paper sought the transcripts to explain actions that led to the deaths of two people and the suspension of Jackson County Sheriff’s Capt. Joe Puckett. Puckett has been on paid administrative leave since mid-February. "There’s clearly a public interest in this because it involves a police officer and one of the lead police officers at the sheriff’s office," Hunter said. Advertisement Killed in the crash were Charles Ashley Bench, 26, of Shady Cove, and Kevan James Thatcher-Stephens, 17, of Ashland. Officials said Thatcher-Stephens was driving intoxicated at speeds between 90 and 100 mph on Riverside Avenue when his Jeep Cherokee collided in an intersection with a Chevrolet Blazer driven by Bench. Hunter said he hoped the transcripts would help answer key questions about the incident. "Was there a pursuit? How long did it last? What was the officer’s involvement before and after the accident?" Hunter said. Although 9-1-1 transcripts are disclosable under Oregon’s public records laws, Tirapelle told the Mail Tribune she couldn’t release them on the advice of Josephine County District Attorney Stephen Campbell, who is overseeing the crash inquiry. Campbell said the records were being withheld because they are part of an ongoing investigation. Jackson County District Attorney Mark Huddleston upheld Campbell’s denial this week when the Mail Tribune refused to waive a seven-day requirement for a response. The Mail Tribune also requested transcripts of 9-1-1 traffic held by the Rogue Valley Consolidated Communication Center, known as CCOM. CCOM dispatches calls for the Medford Police Department and others. Medford City Attorney Ron Doyle denied the request, citing the continuing investigation. The newspaper contends that the contents of the 9-1-1 transcripts already were released by being broadcast in public. "Anybody who had a Radio Shack scanner could have heard it," Hunter said. The investigation of the accident would not be affected by release of the transcripts, he added. "It doesn’t harm their investigation and it would give the public a greater understanding of what happened that night," Hunter said. In addition, Hunter said it is the newspaper’s duty to examine and report on public records of significant community issues. "It’s important to remember that public records belong to the public," he said. "The agencies are just their caretakers." Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg Slippers Student Loans afsa teleconferencing Memory Foam Mattress Advertisement s