Greenwich Roundup: 07/25/08 Greenwich Police David Ridberg Was Wrong - It's against the law for a person to circulate a criminal report involving a minor

Friday, July 25, 2008

07/25/08 Greenwich Police David Ridberg Was Wrong - It's against the law for a person to circulate a criminal report involving a minor

"It is not a criminal violation for a civilian to circulate such a report", Ridberg said on Wednesday

HEADLINE:

At Least Eight Anti-Wiffleball Families Involved With The Juvenile Report Are Under Investigation And May Need The Services Of A Good Defense Attorney

QUOTES:

"So I think that it is pretty clear that if you disclose it further you would be in violation of that statute," Fran Carino, supervisory juvenile prosecutor for the state said. "You could probably make a case for contempt for violating a court order."

"We continue to interview people in house, " Greenwich Police David Ridberg said.

"At this point, we're taking the police at their word," Lindy Urso, the lawyer for the family of the juvenile named in the report said. "One way or the other, the family will discover the truth and proceed accordingly. If it turns out that someone in the police department is responsible, they will be just as liable as a private citizen.

STORY:

Police report sent illegally

By Neil Vigdor Greenwich Time Staff Writer

The state's top juvenile prosecutor said yesterday that it's against the law for a person to circulate a criminal report involving a minor, as was the case in connection with the recent Wiffle ball controversy in Riverside.

Fran Carino, supervisory juvenile prosecutor for the state, said youth cases are shielded from the public by law to prevent minors from being stigmatized by the crimes they commit.

Even sections of juvenile reports obtained legitimately through the court system by victims or defendants in crimes are prohibited from "further disclosure" under the law, he said.

...About eight to 10 families in the neighborhood received copies of the juvenile report, according to Urso, who said the family could seek punitive damages from anyone who distributed the report.

"Obviously, the more widespread the dissemination, the more harm that is done to the child," Urso said. "Once we discover who the culpable parties are, we want to be prepared to take immediate action."

Carino, the state prosecutor, said the judicial system is highly protective of juvenile reports.