Frances is a police captain who receives a freedom of information request to release all files related to the investigation of a person currently on trial for crimes uncovered in that investigation. Why might Frances choose to keep these files confidential??
The files aren’t relevant to the court proceedings.
The jury doesn’t need this information.
The files would affect the jury’s impartiality.
The files would lengthen jury deliberations.
There could be several reasons why Frances might choose to keep these files confidential:
1. Confidentiality of ongoing investigations: The files may contain sensitive information that could compromise ongoing investigations or endanger the safety of individuals involved. Frances may choose to keep these files confidential to maintain the integrity of the investigation and protect potential witnesses or informants.
2. Protection of privacy: The files may contain personal information about individuals not directly related to the trial, such as witnesses, victims, or informants. Frances might want to protect their privacy by not disclosing this information to the public or media through a freedom of information request.
3. Presumption of innocence: Frances may consider that releasing all files related to the investigation could potentially affect the jury's impartiality. The trial should be based on the evidence relevant to the case, as determined by the prosecution and defense. Introducing additional information that may not be directly related to the charges might prejudice the jury's perception of the defendant's guilt or innocence.
4. Streamlining court proceedings: Releasing additional files that are not directly relevant to the court proceedings could unnecessarily prolong the trial. This could complicate the jury's task of reviewing and deliberating on the evidence presented and could potentially lead to confusion or distraction from the main focus of the trial.
In summary, Frances might choose to keep these files confidential to ensure the integrity of ongoing investigations, protect the privacy of individuals involved, uphold the presumption of innocence, and streamline the court proceedings.