DOJ Turns Aside Massachusetts’ DA Suit for Investigation Records

A Massachusetts county’s district attorney lost his First Circuit appeal Monday over DOJ’s refusal to hand over documents collected in the course of a 27-month investigation into police misconduct in Springfield, the county seat.

The district court applied the correct standard under the Administrative Procedure Act when it evaluated the Department of Justice’s denial of Hampden County District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni’s Touhy request, the appeals court said.

Touhy regulations, named for a 1951 Supreme Court case, guide DOJ decisions to disclose information and documents to requesting parties.

In 2018, DOJ began an investigation into the Springfield Police Department, ...