April 8, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Elliot Engstrom (919) 834-2099 elliot.engstrom@nccivitas.org
RALEIGH – The Civitas Institute today voluntarily dismissed its lawsuit against the Alamance County Board of Elections and Alamance County Attorney. The public records request at the center of the action has been fulfilled, and the Institute has thus chosen to pursue no further action.
Earlier this month, the Civitas Institute filed suit against the Alamance County Board of Elections and Alamance County Attorney, alleging violations of North Carolina public records laws. At issue were whether the defendants could require the Institute to physically visit and inspect records prior to sending copies and whether the County Attorney could legally obstruct access to records that were in the possession of the Board of Elections.
On April 7, the County Attorney mailed the disputed records to the Civitas Institute via certified mail, and the next morning the Institute dismissed the case.
“We opted to dismiss the case after, and only after, the Alamance County Attorney agreed to send us the disputed records with no strings attached,” Civitas Institute attorney Elliot Engstrom said. “Our decision to dismiss the case in no way vindicates the public records policies of the Alamance County Board of Elections or the Alamance County Attorney. Were there a pattern of allegedly illegal conduct, this would have been a different case. However, as this is the first time we have encountered this issue with any state agency, we opted to dismiss upon fulfillment of our request.”
Established in 2005, the Civitas Institute is a Raleigh-based nonprofit corporation organized for the purpose of conducting research, sponsoring educational activities, and disseminating information to promote the general public’s understanding of the benefits of limited government and free market economies.
More information on the Civitas Institute is available at www.nccivitas.org, or contact Communications Director Jim Tynen at james.tynen@nccivitas.org or (919) 834-2099.
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