A judge is deciding whether Washington County Attorney Larry Brock violated state law. Brock filed a motion earlier this month to have his hearing in front of an administrative law judge, instead of the Iowa Public Information Board. The motion was approved, and the hearing was held yesterday. According to the deputy director of the board, Margaret Johnson, the judge will review evidence and issue a written ruling. The public information board has received three complaints out of Washington County this year; two were in reference to closed meetings the conservation board held, while the other was filed by former Washington County Conservation Park Ranger Bob Bellmer

In March, Bellmer requested copies of all correspondence between Brock and the Conservation Board from November 1st of last year and March 1st of this year that dealt with his employment. After Brock failed to reply, the IPIB got involved. Brock provided the records to Bellmer in June, but at that point the IPIB had already charged him with failure to provide open records.

Johnson was in Washington County August 12th to train the conservation board on public information law.