DA will not prosecute Denver police official over handling of open records request

The Denver Post: Denver District Attorney Beth McCann has decided not to prosecute the Denver Police Department’s second in command, Deputy Chief Matt Murray, over his handling of an open records request.

“The CORA requests in question were handled carelessly by DPD, particularly by Chief (Robert) White and Deputy Chief Murray. The public has the right to expect a quick and thoughtful response to CORA requests by city officials, particularly by its police leadership,” McCann said in a statement.

“However, there is not sufficient evidence based on all the evidence gathered in the investigation to find a knowing and willful violation of CORA beyond a reasonable doubt, which is required by the CORA statute in order to prove a criminal charge,” the statement continues.

McCann announced the decision Thursday afternoon after she met with the Denver Police Protective Association, the police union that had requested and been denied documents by the department. The police union had filed complaints with the district attorney’s office and the Denver independent monitor.

A violation of the Colorado Open Records Act is a misdemeanor punishable by a maximum sentence of a $100 fine and 90 days in the county jail.

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