PHOTO: Courtesy of WLUK
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A federal judge will allow the confidential exchange of information and recordings as part of the lawsuit challenging the use of surveillance cameras of Green Bay City Hall.
Green Bay installed the security cameras with audio-recording capability sometime before December 2021. In August 2022, Janet Angus requested details of audio surveillance equipment, which the city provided. A lawsuit was filed in February 2023, shortly before the mayoral election. A week later, the city’s Park Committee recommended the ending of the recordings. A judge entered a temporary order to halt it on March 2. Days later, the City Council prohibited audio surveillance at City Hall.
The plaintiffs — the Wisconsin State Senate, State Sen. Andre Jacque, and former Green Bay Ald. Tony Theisen — sued the City of Green Bay and Mayor Eric Genrich, arguing their right to privacy had been infringed.
Both sides asked the court for permission to share information – including the recordings – without them being made available to the public.
In a seven-page ruling issued late Tuesday, federal Judge William Griesbach agreed the move makes sense.
“The court finds that exchange of sensitive information between or among the parties and/or third parties other than in accordance with this Order may cause unnecessary damage and injury to the parties or to others. The court further finds that the terms of this Order are fair and just and that good cause has been shown for entry of a protective order governing the confidentiality of documents produced in discovery, answers to interrogatories, answers to requests for admission, and deposition testimony,” the order states.
No trial date has been set.
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