Director orders West Jordan to produce responsive police records and document the search

The director granted Miss Sotelo's appeal and ordered West Jordan City to produce all responsive records, provide a written description of the search methods and repositories consulted, supply a classification log identifying any withheld records with statutory justifications, and file a notice of compliance within 28 days. The director said the order would allow Sotelo to pursue district-court review if the city failed to comply.

Sotelo told the hearing she has pursued multiple related GRAMA requests over two years and identified three dates (June 23, 27 and 29) whose CAD logs, body-worn camera audio and other communications she says are missing or altered; she alleged specific audio gaps and redactions in produced video files. "These 3 dates are the most critical in the entire records request," she said, describing bodycam audio that is muted in produced video and phone-call evidence she believes proves communications occurred.

West Jordan attorney Dodd said the specific issues Sotelo raised were not all appealed first to the CAO as required and characterized some items as outside the narrow appeal or already addressed; he said the city's CAO response granted an extension and that the city provided records on June 16. The director concluded the city had effectively waived some procedural defenses and ordered the broader compliance measures above, including a description of the search who/what/when/where/how and a classification log detailing statutory bases for any withholdings. The director set a 28-day compliance window and will issue a written decision within seven business days; the order may be appealed to district court within 30 days.