"Georgia is no Alabama, and when it comes to the public's right to know that's a very good thing.

"The Alabama Supreme Court irresponsibly assaulted the public's right to access and dealt a fatal blow to the state's open records laws.

"Court's feckless decision makes it virtually impossible for the people of Alabama to access law enforcement records.

"In Georgia, and in most states, all initial police incident reports are public records. Documents related to an ongoing investigation are privileged and can be withheld while the investigation is underway but once the probe is completed, files are subject to open records requests and must be disclosed.

"At a time when the public is struggling with trusting police, the Alabama Supreme Court made it virtually impossible to trust either the police or the courts.

"Transparency breeds trust.

"Secrecy breeds suspicion."