When public information isn’t so public

Government officials — especially elected ones — work for the people. At least, that’s the principle our system is built on.

While reporting the criminal charges filed against a local justice of the peace, I’ve been reminded that obtaining public information isn’t always as straightforward as it should be.

In the last few days, I’ve made more than 20 phone calls — many of them in a single day — to the Colorado County District Clerk’s Office, the Colorado County Attorney’s Office, the Columbus Police Department, the Colorado County Sheriff’s Office, the county jail, the district court and even the Texas Attorney General’s Office.