Paper warns that Okla. bill may mean innocent citizens are sent to prison

Citizens beware! That's the message the Ada (Okla.) Evening News conveyed in its editorial on a bill that "would allow the chief medical examiner to withhold the public release of autopsy reports." Without access to records, Oklahoma is opening itself up to possible corruption.

Oklahoma House of Representatives Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee Feb. 4 postponed consideration of a bill that would allow the chief medical examiner to withhold the public release of autopsy reports.

The bill was requested by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation following the release of autopsy reports on the unsolved murder of two girls near Weleetka in 2008.

On the surface the bill sounds like a good move, however the committee should throw the bill out and not even consider closing these records to the public. When the government starts closing records to the public it opens the door for corruption. One closed record will soon be followed by another until the public no longer has the right to know the truth.

More here.