Qandeh v. MoDOC (Sunshine Law case)

After receiving a complaint from a prisoner incarcerated at the Northeast Correctional Center who alleged that a Missouri Department of Corrections (MODOC) employee intentionally damaged his Quran during a cell search, the ACLU requested related documents in March 2012, under the Sunshine Law. According to the defendant, there were 14 public documents.

However, in May of 2012, legal counsel for MODOC denied the request for any of the documents, citing section 610.021 (14) RSMo and 28 C.F.R. Section 40.10 as the sole basis for claiming an exemption from producing records that are protected from disclosure by law. Later MODOC claimed three additional reasons for closing the records.

Judge Jon Edward Beetem denied MODOC's motion for summary judgment.