Judge rules in favor of former mayor in open records dispute

COLUMBUS, Ind. (AP) - A judge has ruled in favor of a former mayor of a southern Indiana city whose efforts to obtain public records ended up in court.

Former Columbus Mayor Kristen Brown sued in 2017 after she said the city's police department failed to comply with her request for information related to a 2016 crash involving law enforcement.

The (Columbus) Republic reports Special Judge Richard Poynter ruled this month that Brown will get attorney's fees and court costs. The court says she was given "insufficient detail" about her request.

Brown tells WRTV-TV they've "wasted so much taxpayer money" and attorney's fees are approaching $50,000.

City of Columbus attorney Alan Whitted says the city hasn't decided whether to appeal. In a statement, he notes that Brown received the police report during litigation.