Judge issues email restraining order

By Staff
Clif Knight, Hartselle Enquirer
Morgan County Circuit Judge Steven E. Haddock has granted Morgan County District 4 Commissioner Stacy George a temporary restraining order to protect the integrity of electronic records involved in a three-month-old e-mail investigation.
Haddock ruled Feb. 7 “that the defendants, John Glasscock, as chairman of the Morgan County Commission, Jeff Clark, as a member of the commission, and David Hannah, as data processing manager, are temporarily restrained and enjoined from causing or allowing the destruction of any electronic records, as defined in the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, under their individual or joint control that were created, generated, sent, communicated, received or stored electronically by employees of the Morgan County Commission.”
In the same order he set a hearing for March 16 at 9 a.m. to consider George’s request for permanent injunctive relief.
George filed his request with the court on Feb. 2 after he was denied access to an electronic disc containing some 40,000 e-mails. He claims the e-mails are public record
and should be made available to anyone seeking access to them.
Haddock refused to consider George’s first request because he said its was not filed properly. Following its resubmittal, he required George to post a $4,500 security for costs fee.
George has footed the cost for an attorney and court filing fees out of his own pocket.