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Sept. 1, 2015 TO: Circuit Court Judge Elizabeth Hamner Tuscaloosa County Courthouse 714 Greensboro Ave. Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35401
RE: DR-‐2015-‐900426.00
Dear Judge Hamner,
We are respectfully requesting that you unseal the records in the divorce case referenced above, filed Aug. 31, 2015, by Dianne Bentley against Robert Bentley in Tuscaloosa circuit court.
Court records in divorce cases are usually public documents, and we believe that it is in the public interest that these documents pertaining to the sitting governor of Alabama be opened for public inspection.
We disagree with the parties’ attorneys view: that the “defendant holds a prominent office in the state of Alabama , and it would be in the parties’ best interest that the public not be able to access the record in this divorce action.”
In fact, we believe the opposite is true: the argument that these records should be open is even stronger than in the typical divorce case because they pertain to the highest elected official in the state.
One who chooses to run for Governor knows that the electorate will justifiably scrutinize all aspects of his activities and background, including his family circumstances, religious beliefs, and ethical and moral codes. The Governor’s spouse knows this as well. Such transparency has long been recognized as essential to the ability of the citizenry to intelligently exercise its franchise in a democracy. It would seem quite anomalous for the court to afford the Governor and his wife the unusual privilege of availing themselves of the judicial system in secret proceedings, when that special treatment is (quite properly) not generally made available to citizens whose divorces are arguably of less public importance.
Sincerely,
Michelle Holmes Vice President, Content [email protected]
