MCSD FOIA Response grade = F

When Mrs. Jan Weech was the Freedom of Information Act officer at the McHenry County (Ill.) Sheriff's Department (MCSD), things were done right. Responses were on time and were complete.

And now that the Department has a new FOIA officer?

On Sunday, July 13, I filed a FOIA request electronically with the MCSD. I requested details about the domestic disturbance and sheriff's department response involving one of their own. I won't mention the deputy's name until I get the report, but all the deputies know who she is. And many of them believe that she should have been arrested and prosecuted, and fired, not just given a three-day suspension as "administrative" punishment.

If Mrs. Weech were still the FOIA officer, I would have received a complete response no later than yesterday. I was always appreciative of her courtesy and timeliness, and I never had to worry that she might be influenced by higher ups at the sheriff's department who might order her to delay or respond less than completely. When your husband is a sitting judge, nobody is going to ask or direct you to violate a law.

But now she's no longer there. I assume she retired.

So where is my response to my July 13th request? I'm not going to fool around with a second request. I'll just file a Request for Review directly with the Public Access Counselor of the Office of the Illinois Attorney General. Then he or she can rattle Andy's cage and shake the response loose.

Anybody else having problems with FOIA responses now?