Judicial Watch Loses Phoenix Lawsuit: Mayor Phil Gordon Does Not Have to Release Security Detail Logs

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge John Rea has denied Judicial Watch, a conservative think tank, access to two years' worth of security-detail logs kept by Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon's bodyguards.Judicial Watch said it was considering its next steps, and that it would be a few days before they reach a...

By Monica Alonzo

November 4, 2010

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "18478561",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "16759093",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "17980324",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "16759092",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "17980324",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 24
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "16759094",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 24
        }
      ]

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge John Rea has denied Judicial Watch, a conservative think tank, access to two years' worth of security-detail logs kept by Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon's bodyguards.

Judicial Watch said it was considering its next steps, and that it would be a few days before they reach a decision.

A sweet victory, nonetheless, for Gordon just hours before he delivers his annual State of Downtown Address.

The security logs tracked Gordon's activities, and would potentially reveal whether Gordon was appropriately using his taxpayer-funded security detail.

The judge agreed with Phoenix's legal argument "that the worksheets contain matters of safety and confidentiality that outweigh the public policy in favor of disclosure."

Judicial Watch attorneys had argued in court that the city could simply redact portions of the information related to Gordon's safety and confidentiality, but in today's ruling, the judge said that "what remains is essentially the Mayor's public calendar, which has been produced."

The judge also noted by withholding the security-detail logs, first requested in July 2009, the City has not violated the Arizona Public Records Law.

Stayed tuned for more info.

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Phoenix, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.