Radical Liberal NC AG Josh Stein Argues State Agencies Can’t be Sued for Violating the Law

The North Carolina Attorney General’s Office has renewed its request that a judge dismiss a public records lawsuit citing, in part, an argument that a state agency cannot be sued for violating the state’s public records law.

A lawyer in Attorney General Josh Stein’s office, representing the North Carolina Department of Revenue, has made the argument in multiple filings on the department’s behalf.

WBTV investigative reporter Nick Ochsner filed a lawsuit against the Department of Revenue in December 2016 after the department refused to fulfill a public records request related, in part, to Ochsner’s tax records. The request was submitted in June 2016.

According to the complaint, the request sought communication records from department employees, certain collection notices sent by the department and a copy of Ochsner’s tax file.

Documents attached to the original legal complaint show the department’s general counsel refused to conduct a search for records responsive to the public records request.

The Attorney General’s office first claimed the department could not be sued for violating the public records law in its answer to the lawsuit filed in late January.

“The action is barred, in whole or in part, by sovereign immunity and should therefore be dismissed pursuant to Rule 12(b)(1) and (b)(2) of the North Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure,” the Attorney General’s office said on the Department of Revenue’s behalf in its January filing.

Court records show the public records lawsuit proceeded without a judge ruling on the motion to dismiss.

But the Attorney General’s office renewed its request that a judge throw the public records lawsuit out in a filing made earlier this month, arguing, in part, that the public records lawsuit is barred by sovereign immunity.

“Consequently, N.C. Gen. State. 1-254 does not give the Court jurisdiction – subject matter or personal – to order the declaratory relief that Mr. Ochsner seeks, which is not available under the Public Records Act,” the Attorney General’s office argued in a brief supporting its renewed motion to dismiss.

Attorney Jonathan Jones, who specializes in public records law as Executive Director of the North Carolina Sunshine Center, said it was unusual for a government agency to raise a sovereign immunity defense in North Carolina in a lawsuit about the production of public records.

“I’m not a civil procedure expert but the plain language of the records law seems to authorize claims against the state,” Jones said.

Attorneys representing then-Governor Pat McCrory attempted to raise a sovereign immunity defense in a lawsuit brought by a coalition of media outlets and non-profits alleging his administration had a pattern and practice of violating the public records law.

But in that case, attorneys for McCrory argued the sovereign immunity doctrine applied because the coalition sought a broad ruling from the court on the administration’s handling of public records as opposed to a lawsuit seeking production of a specific set of documents, WRAL reported.

Jones, the public records law expert, said the McCrory case was the first time he had ever seen a government raise sovereign immunity as a defense to a public records lawsuit.

“Sovereign immunity in public records cases is particularly frustrating because the whole point of the public records law is to empower the citizens to compel the government to comply with the public records law,” Jones explained. “If the sovereign immunity defense is validated then it eviscerates the entire public records law.”

READ FULL ARTICLE

Have a hot tip for First In Freedom Daily?

Got a hot news tip for us? Photos or video of a breaking story? Send your tips, photos and videos to tips@firstinfreedomdaily.com. All hot tips are immediately forwarded to FIFD Staff.

Have something to say? Send your own guest column or original reporting to submissions@firstinfreedomdaily.com.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here