Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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
Governors
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
a vailable
to
citizens
whose
divorces
are
arguably
of
less
public
importance.
Sincerely,
Michelle
Holmes
Vice
President,
Content
mholmes@al.com
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