Lisle man fights Naperville police dashcam video release
A Lisle man charged with falsely accusing a Naperville police officer of trying to run him over is trying to block disclosure of police reports and dashcam video related to the case.
DuPage County Chief Public Defender Jeffrey York filed a motion Monday seeking to prevent the Naperville Police Department from releasing any documents and footage while the case against Donald Pritchard is going on "so our client has the chance to a fair trial," he said.
Judge George J. Bakalis did not yet rule on the motion, but he issued a temporary order prohibiting release until he has had time to review York's request.
A ruling could come during a hearing scheduled for Aug. 24 in the case accusing Pritchard of felony disorderly conduct for filing a false police report.
Pritchard, 57, of the 500 block of Maple Avenue, was charged in February after he claimed an officer tried to run him down with a squad car Nov. 2, 2015, outside Naperville police headquarters at 1350 Aurora Ave. Authorities said Pritchard was protesting what he believes to be racism in the police department.
The Daily Herald filed a Freedom of Information Act request Feb. 9 seeking access to the squad car's dashboard camera and all documents related to Pritchard's case.
Naperville city attorneys, with guidance from the DuPage County state's attorney's office and public defender's office, denied the request, arguing that releasing the information would stand in the way of Pritchard receiving a fair trial. But the Illinois attorney general's Public Access Bureau ruled Aug. 2 in favor of releasing the documents and video.
"We are unable to conclude that disclosure of any specific information in the withheld records would create a 'substantial likelihood' of tainting the jury pool or otherwise interfering with the defendant's right to a fair trial," Assistant Attorney General Matt Hartman wrote in the 10-page opinion.
York's motion, however, restates the belief that publication of information contained in police documents and of the squad car's dashcam video could "jeopardize the defendant's right to a fair trial."
"Long gone are the days that articles about cases would be published once in a printed newspaper, only to disappear from the public, subject only to a search at a library or at the source," York wrote in a memo in support of his motion. "With the advent of the widespread use of the internet, all articles written about the defendant are available in an instant, at all times, including the ability to watch and re-watch said video."
Naperville police Cmdr. Jason Arres said in February the video footage showed the officer turning his vehicle around in the circle drive in front of the department.
Paul Darrah, spokesman for DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin, confirmed the footage led to charges being filed against Pritchard.
"Once the footage from the dashcam was reviewed, that completely disproved (Pritchard's) claims that the officer was trying to run him over," Darrah said when charges were filed.
Arres said Monday the department will support the decision Bakalis makes about disclosure in Pritchard's case.
• Daily Herald staff writer Justin Kmitch contributed to this report.