Wyo. senator proposes public review of coroner records

Wyoming Sen. Cale Case has drafted legislation that would make all coroner records open for public review unless they're privileged or confidential by law, the AP reported. This would call for state coroners to redact privileged or confidential information in files so that as much information as possible is disclosed. His legislation is in regards to the death of three teenage girls on the Wind River Indian Reservation. The FBI investigated the case, but the U.S. attorney's office in Cheyenne has refused to comment. The suspicion is that juveniles are facing criminal charges.

The federal government's refusal to say what killed three teenage girls on the Wind River Indian Reservation last year is driving a Wyoming state senator to try to force county coroners to open their records to the public.

Sen. Cale Case, R-Lander, has drafted legislation that would specify that all coroner records would be open for public review unless they're privileged or confidential by law.

Case's proposal calls for directing the state's 23 elected coroners to redact privileged or confidential information in their files to allow the fullest possible disclosure.

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Group requests information on Wy. deaths

The Wyoming Coalition for Open Government asked U.S. District Judge William Downes for information (at least the docket number) on the case involving the death of three Wyoming teenagers, AP reported. The FBI handled the investigation, and no details of the case, including the cause of death, have been released. At this point, it isn't for certain that a juvenile case related to the deaths exists, but comments made to reporters suggest that it does.

An open-government group has asked a federal judge to acknowledge the existence of a juvenile criminal case related to the deaths of three girls on the Wind River Indian Reservation.

The girls — Ohetica Win Elyxis Gardner, 13; Winter Rose Thomas, 14; and Alexandrea "Alex" Whiteplume, 15 — were found dead in a tribal housing complex south of Riverton on June 4, 2008. The FBI has handled the investigation into the girls' deaths.

The Wyoming Coalition for Open Government asked U.S. District Judge William Downes, chief federal judge for Wyoming, in a letter Monday to reveal at least the docket number in the case so the group could intervene in any proceedings.

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Some Juvenile Records Could be Opened By Louisiana Bill...

The criminal records of some juveniles could become public record under legislation passed by a Senate committee.

Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Norman said parents and school officials are often at a disadvantage, not knowing the history of juvenile delinquents in their neighborhoods and schools.

Norman told a Senate committee there is little that he, as the chief law enforcement officer in Jefferson Parish, is able to talk about publicly.

More here.