BOZEMAN — A state judge ordered the City of Bozeman to give the Bozeman Daily Chronicle its records of an investigation into an employee who was eventually charged with embezzlement.
District Judge John Brown’s April 19 ruling chastised the city for filing a lawsuit asking him to determine which records should be released before giving the newspaper a written decision, as required by law.
However, he did not order the city to pay the Chronicle’s attorney fees.
The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports it sought information about an investigation into former neighborhood coordinator Jessica Johnson after her resignation letter indicated she would be available to “finalize the investigation.”
Because Johnson has now been charged, Brown gave the Gallatin county attorney until May 11 to object to releasing the records on the grounds that they are confidential criminal justice information.