From The Asheville Citizen-Times:
ASHEVILLE — An audit of missing police evidence is the “property of the people” and should be made public, an attorney for the Citizen-Times and four other media organizations argued in court Tuesday.Charles Coble told the judge that District Attorney Ron Moore’s withholding of the documents is a violation of the state Public Records Act and the court should order their release.“The General Assembly said in our state transparency should prevail over secrecy,” he said. “It’s clear this particular document is a public record under the act.”But attorneys for the city and the District Attorney’s Office maintained the inventory of the Police Department evidence room, commissioned by City Council for $175,000, is exempt from the act because it involves a criminal investigation.