Bolton ignores Court order to drive-up Legal Fees
The City of Nashua installed a surveillance video camera in the Assessing office customer service area and was punishing an assessing employee for assisting me at the counter with my Right-to-Know requests, which was part of their job description. The City was falsely claiming that the employee was spending too much time assisting me.
I requested the videos to disprove the City’s allegations, but the City denied access citing privacy interest exemptions. This request became a challenge brought forth in my Right-to-Know lawsuit.
My Attorney filed a several motions and requested the Court to perform an in camera review to determine if the videos were private. On June 30, 2021, the court ordered the City to release the surveillance videos to my legal team.
The City believed that the Court order did not allow me to see the videos. My attorneys would have to file a motion for clarification. The City stated they would object to the relief requested in the motion. Why would the City object to clarification? The Court would have to rule on the motion, potentially setting up another hearing. More wasted time and money.
The City refused to comply with the original court order and deliver the videos to my attorneys. Until a motion was filed and a clarified order was issued, Attorney Bolton was treating the existing court order as invalid.
A hearing, on other matters involving this case, was scheduled on July 9, 2021. My attorney was present; Because of the taxpayer’s largesse, three City Attorney’s attended the hearing. In the interest of saving court, taxpayer, and citizen time and money, I asked my lawyer to request clarification on the video’s in the hearing. In less than a minute’s time, the Court graciously clarified the order. I was, in fact, permitted to view the videos, but must comply with a Court non-dissemination order. The City delivered the videos within three days.
These are the obstructive, expensive, corrupt tactics employed by Attorney Bolton to drive legal costs higher, making a mockery of court orders.
Information requests and disputes should never be this hostile and costly. I have made every effort to limit my personal costs, taxpayer costs and court time on this lawsuit, but City officials have a deep well of taxpayer money to level absurd objections driving a civil case into a personal, vindictive, uncivil case. These hostile, corrupt government officials need to be removed.