PRESS RELEASE
Michael O’Keefe, District
Attorney
Cape & Islands District
3231 Main Street
Barnstable, MA 02630
(508) 362-8113
FAX (508) 362-8221

Contact: Michael D. O'Keefe, District Attorney
Brian S. Glenny, First Assistant District Attorney
Michael A. Trudeau, First Assistant District Attorney

November 23, 2016

Statement of District Attorneys Joseph D. Early Jr. (Worcester County), Timothy J.
Cruz (Plymouth County) and Michael D. O’Keefe (Cape and Islands):
We look forward to the guidance that a declaratory judgment will provide in the area of
access to public records. While our offices strive for transparency and provide the public and
media information every day, there exists substantial disagreement concerning access to
electronic records kept by our offices.
The Trial Court in its own effort to balance transparency with the private information
contained in court records added filters to its public portal to prevent data mining. The question
presented will decide whether the district attorneys’ electronic records are similarly protected.
We believe that there exists a conflict between the public records law and the Criminal
Offender Record Information law (C.O.R.I.). The purpose of the C.O.R.I. law is to protect
privacy and to promote the rehabilitation of criminal defendants.
We look forward to a clear resolution of these important concerns.

#########