Pa. State Police ordered to release work records
By Carl Prine
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Pennsylvania's Office of Open Records has ordered the release of documents detailing the moonlighting done by state troopers to the Tribune-Review and the Associated Press.
Those off-duty jobs became an issue because of Trooper Ed Joyner's role in the rape investigation of Steelers star Ben Roethlisberger. Georgia detectives claimed Joyner, 42, of Upper St. Clair was serving as a bodyguard for the quarterback on March 5 when a college sophomore alleged Roethlisberger raped her in a Milledgeville bar.
In decisions Thursday, hearing officer Lucinda Glinn ruled the state police should remove Social Security numbers, off-duty working hours, home addresses and other details, but forms showing where troopers engage in secondary employment and the approval process tied to their moonlighting must be released under Pennsylvania's Right to Know statute.
"For us, this decision simply followed the legislative intent of the law, which is to ensure more information is released," said Office of Open Records Director Terry Mutchler in Harrisburg.
Both the Trib and AP filed appeals to the Office of Open Records in May after police officials refused to surrender the forms, claiming the information could jeopardize the safety of moonlighting troopers who often worked without their guns or body armor. Police officials told the Trib that they couldn't comment on the decision until they read it. They now have 30 days to either release the information or appeal the ruling.
During a taped interview, Joyner begged Georgia detectives not to run his name through databases because it would "flag" him on Pennsylvania State Police computers. Joyner also yelled at Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents for contacting his bosses directly, according to case files.
Witnesses said Joyner barred them from rescuing the woman left alone with Roethlisberger in a staff restroom, accusations the trooper denied to investigators. Roethlisberger never was charged, but the NFL slapped him with a suspension that could run as long as six games.
Citing orders that he wasn't supposed to work as a bodyguard, police officials yanked permission for Joyner to work for Roethlisberger in April, a decision he is appealing through his union.
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Pennsylvania's Office of Open Records has ordered the release of documents detailing the moonlighting done by state troopers to the Tribune-Review and the Associated Press.
Those off-duty jobs became an issue because of Trooper Ed Joyner's role in the rape investigation of Steelers star Ben Roethlisberger. Georgia detectives claimed Joyner, 42, of Upper St. Clair was serving as a bodyguard for the quarterback on March 5 when a college sophomore alleged Roethlisberger raped her in a Milledgeville bar.
In decisions Thursday, hearing officer Lucinda Glinn ruled the state police should remove Social Security numbers, off-duty working hours, home addresses and other details, but forms showing where troopers engage in secondary employment and the approval process tied to their moonlighting must be released under Pennsylvania's Right to Know statute.
"For us, this decision simply followed the legislative intent of the law, which is to ensure more information is released," said Office of Open Records Director Terry Mutchler in Harrisburg.
Both the Trib and AP filed appeals to the Office of Open Records in May after police officials refused to surrender the forms, claiming the information could jeopardize the safety of moonlighting troopers who often worked without their guns or body armor. Police officials told the Trib that they couldn't comment on the decision until they read it. They now have 30 days to either release the information or appeal the ruling.
During a taped interview, Joyner begged Georgia detectives not to run his name through databases because it would "flag" him on Pennsylvania State Police computers. Joyner also yelled at Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents for contacting his bosses directly, according to case files.
Witnesses said Joyner barred them from rescuing the woman left alone with Roethlisberger in a staff restroom, accusations the trooper denied to investigators. Roethlisberger never was charged, but the NFL slapped him with a suspension that could run as long as six games.
Citing orders that he wasn't supposed to work as a bodyguard, police officials yanked permission for Joyner to work for Roethlisberger in April, a decision he is appealing through his union.