Owensboro Will Appeal Ruling in Newspaper's Favor

Owensboro officials will appeal its case involving an open records dispute with The Messenger-Inquirer. City commissioners voted yesterday to appeal a circuit judge’s decision that the city must hand over two internal investigations opened last year against former police spokeswoman Marian Cosgrove.

Mayor Ron Payne tells the newspaper the city is comfortable with the expense of an appeal. City lawyers argue the documents are not subject to the open records law because the commissioners took no final action when Cosgrove left, which ended the investigation. Messenger-Inquirer editor Matt Francis says residents should question the officials’ commitment to transparency in light of their decision.