J. Gregory Batten v. Attorney General's Office (SPR 20222109)

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth Public Records Division Manza Arthur Supervisor of Records September 19, 2022 SPR22/2109 Lorraine A.G. Tarrow, Esq. Records Access Officer Office of the Attorney General One Ashburton Place, 20th Floor Boston, MA 02108 Dear Attorney Tarrow: I have received the petition of Attorney J. Gregory Batten, of Law Offices of J. Gregory Batten, appealing the nonresponse of the Office of the Attorney General (AGO) to a request for public records. See G. L. c. 66, § 10A; see also 950 C.M.R. 32.08(1). On August 25, 2022, Attorney Batten requested “…all papers, witness statements, notes, records and notes from the Office of Inspector General (OIG), criminal referrals, e-mails, criminal referrals from the OIG, narratives, police reports, applications for criminal complaints, indictments, decisions not to bring criminal charges, and other documentary materials or data … regarding William A. Hinton State Laboratory from January 1, 2012 to January 1, 2017[.]” Claiming to not yet have received responsive records, Attorney Batten petitioned this office and this appeal, SPR22/2109, was opened as a result. Subsequently, I learned that the AGO provided a response to Attorney Batten dated September 13, 2022. Where the basis of this appeal was opened as a result of the AGO’s lack of a written response, I will now consider this administrative appeal closed. Attorney Batten has appealed the AGO’s response which is in the process of being opened as a separate appeal. Sincerely, Manza Arthur Supervisor of Records cc: J. Gregory Batten, Esq. One Ashburton Place, Room 1719, Boston, Massachusetts 02108 • (617) 727-2832• Fax: (617) 727-5914 sec.state.ma.us/pre • pre@sec.state.ma.us