From The Associated Press, 11/18/05:
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-spokane-mayor,0,4368464.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines
Judge Releases Contents on Mayor's Laptop
By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS
Associated Press Writer
RITZVILLE, Wash. --
A judge on Thursday granted a newspaper's request to make public
gay-themed material from Spokane Mayor James E. West's City Hall
laptop computer, but placed restrictions on the release of images from
a gay-oriented Web site.
Judge Richard Miller ordered the release of an index showing the dates
and times West used the computer to access Gay.com and other Web
sites.
But the judge said the Web addresses of member profiles West viewed on
the site's dating service would be obscured, and images on the mayor's
hard drive would not be released, to protect the privacy of third
parties.
"Clearly the public has the right to evaluate the mayor's
performance," Miller said.
But, he added, releasing the pictures "could 'out' people without
their permission."
Miller said the contents of West's city-owned laptop include about
3,300 images, including about 100 showing male genitalia or buttocks.
Many of the images show the upper torso of shirtless men, Miller said.
Attorneys for The Spokesman-Review newspaper went to court to seek
release of the files.
West fought release of the computer's contents, contending they were
private and that the Internet sites were accessed during off-work
hours.
The city allows employees to make limited use of city equipment to
access the Internet for private reasons.
The mayor faces a recall election Dec. 6 over allegations that he
abused his office by offering a City Hall internship to an 18-year-old
man he met in a Gay.com chat room.
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