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| DHS ATTORNEY LANICA WOODLEY (L) AND LEGAL SECRETARY DARLINE CARPENTER (R) |
DHS attorney Janica Woodley is no legal scholar and was probably not in the top of her class in law school. We feel extremely comfortable in making that pronouncement as she denied the publisher of this blog his rights under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. Ignorantia juris non excusat.
We sent FOI requests to DHS concerning two former employees. Neither employee objected to our request, nor did they or DHS request an opinion form the Arkansas Attorney General regarding our request.
DHS mouthpiece Brandi Hinkle provided responses, however the response to the request regarding Doris Wright, a Director on the Little Rock Board of Directors did not contain information regarding her departure from that agency even thought that was specifically listed in the request.
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| BRANDI HINKLE |
Additionally, DHS had not responded to questions regarding Farrar and her criminal past.
So the publisher went to the DHS main office and 7th & Main and asked to view the files he had requested to see if documents had been overlooked and to obtain additional documents about Farrar and the data breach. You can read our post about Farrar and the data breach by clicking here.
The guard at the front desk had no idea who to call about somone walking in and asking to inspect public records under the AFOIA, so the publisher suggest he call the Office of Chief Counsel.
So after a few minutes, the publisher was approached by Janice Woodsley and her assistant Darline Carpenter.
According the state transparency website, Woodsley is a Managing Attorney (she only identified herself as a "privacy officer") and Carpenter is a legal support specialist.
The brief conversation was captured on a digital recorder and take a listen to what transpired.
Woodley should be ashamed of herself for making such an incredibly stupid statement as she did.
When a request is made in person, the FOIA contemplates that the records will be made available immediately unless they are in active use or storage.
Section 25-19-105(a)(1)(A) states that "all public records shall be open to inspection and copying... during the regular business hours of the custodian of the records." Under subsection (d)(1), "reasonable comforts and facilities" must be provided for the requester.
And under subsection (e), a specific date must be set for inspection within three working days if the record is "in active use or storage and, therefore, not available at the time a citizen asks to examine it."
Woodsley simply stated that the request to inspect documents in person was not permissible and turned around and walked off.
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| THE TRUTH WAS NOT THE ONLY THING WOODSLEY WAS STRETCHING. |
Woodsley has exposed herself and DHS to public ridicule and a potential lawsuit regarding denial of rights under the AFOIA.
Stay tuned for updates.
