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Former Reed Aide Accused Of Open Records Violations: A Talk With 1st Amendment Attorney

Denis O’Hayer •
Citations allege former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed's onetime press secretary Jenna Garland instructed the director of communications for the city's Department of Watershed Management to delay or hold responses to open records requests from WSB-TV. On “All Things Considered,” WABE's Denis O'Hayer spoke with Atlanta First Amendment attorney Cynthia Counts about the open records law.
Citations allege former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed's onetime press secretary Jenna Garland instructed the director of communications for the city's Department of Watershed Management to delay or hold responses to open records requests from WSB-TV. On “All Things Considered,” WABE's Denis O'Hayer spoke with Atlanta First Amendment attorney Cynthia Counts about the open records law.
Credit Al Such / WABE
Audio version of this story here.

Former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed’s onetime press secretary faces two misdemeanor citations from the state attorney general’s office.

In a statement on Monday, Attorney General Chris Carr announced that Jenna Garland is accused of violating the state’s open records law in March and April of 2017.

Carr said this is the first criminal prosecution ever under the law, which was updated in 2012. The citations allege that Garland instructed the director of communications for the city’s Department of Watershed Management to delay or hold responses to open records requests from WSB-TV.

For a look at what the open records law says and why this is the first criminal prosecution, WABE’s Denis O’Hayer spoke with Atlanta First Amendment attorney Cynthia Counts.

She is a partner in the Atlanta office of Duane Morris and a member of the board of the Georgia First Amendment Foundation.  They spoke on “All Things Considered.”

Correction: This report has been updated to show that Cynthia Counts is a member of the board of the Georgia First Amendment Foundation. 

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