The Ohio Supreme Court ruled this week that the city of Cincinnati will not be penalized for a short delay in turning over public records tied to a downtown brawl that went viral, or for failing to explain the reason for the delay.
Eugene Utz had sought records related to the arrest of Alexander Tchervinski in connection with the brawl. The city held the records while awaiting a ruling from the Hamilton County Municipal Court on whether it could restrict access, then released them 11 days after the request. Utz asked the high court to fine the city for its inadequate explanation of the initial denial.
The court said Utz received the records, so the request was moot, and ruled he is not entitled to money from the city for the brief delay. Typically, an agency denying a public records request must cite the legal provision allowing the withholding.
Utz filed a similar complaint against Hamilton County Clerk of Courts Pavan Parikh, which is awaiting a Supreme Court decision.
