The City of Columbia may owe C.P.O.A. large sum of legal fees

The Columbia Police Officer’s Association still does not know how much the city of Columbia could reimburse them for attorney fee’s after a lengthy and continuing battle.

C.P.O.A’s Executive Director Dale Roberts said the attorney fees for both counts are close to $40,000.

“The total amount for attorney fees to date is $37,234.75,” said Roberts

Robert said these fees are normal for a lawsuit that has gone on for a year and a half.

We asked expert Sandy Davidson, a Professor in Communications at Mizzou if these fees are out of the ordinary.

“I’ve seen bills higher for Sunshine Law cases,” said Davidson.

Roberts said the problem is these attorney fees are only going to rise.

Count one of this lawsuit has not officially been resolved and the trial for count two has not even begun.

In regards to count two, C.P.O.A. said after asking for emails from the Columbia Police Department, they were charged almost $800. Later finding out, they were billed the Chief of Police’s hourly salary, one of the highest paid employees at the Police Department, to do the search and retrieve the emails.

But according to Davidson, the Sunshine Law requires the lowest-paid, most capable person to do the job.

“The law requires that the person who makes the least amount of money per hour, who is capable of doing that redaction to do it,” said Davidson.

The C.P.D. will have to prove to the judge that the only person that could sift through these emails is the Chief of Police.

If they cannot prove it, the City of Columbia will acquire further attorney fees, which Roberts said is taxpayer’s money.

The next hearing date is set for June 11th at 9 a.m.

Roberts said their attorney’s will request a trial for count two at the next court date.