The Oregonian/OregonLive for months sought records from Grant County Sheriff Glenn Palmer that he refused to provide or delayed turning over until the news organization filed a lawsuit to get them.

The suit in Grant County Circuit Court, filed May 20, continues to press for access to documents that the sheriff hasn’t yet released. By law in Oregon, the public is entitled to see all but certain categories of documents held by government agencies and the public officials who run them.

Earlier this month, a state judge ordered the sheriff not to delete any emails from a personal account he uses for public business.

Here’s a sampling of requests to the sheriff dating back to February:

Emails sent by Palmer from his county account:

Request: Feb. 16

Sheriff on April 27: “I do not use account.”

Sheriff through attorney on July 15: “About 200 emails” located and will be provided after payment by The Oregonian/OregonLive of $360 fee (since paid).

Documents provided: Seven emails released Aug. 1; 38 emails released Aug. 4; 191 emails released Aug. 12, duplicating earlier releases.

Emails about government business sent by Palmer from his personal account:

Request: Feb. 16

Sheriff on April 27: “Not in my possession”

Sheriff through attorney on July 8: Sheriff’s office “does not possess.”

Sheriff through attorney on July 15: Some of the emails are kept in printed form.

Documents provided: None

Emails sent by sheriff’s civil deputy from her county account:

Request: Feb. 16

District attorney on Feb. 26: Orders emails to be turned over within seven days.

Sheriff on March 7: His office doesn’t “archive” or “maintain” the emails.

Sheriff through attorney on July 6: 45 emails will be released after review and payment by The Oregonian/OregonLive of $180 fee (since paid).

Documents provided on Aug. 17: 56 emails, including duplicates.

Personal cellphone calls related to government:

Request: Feb. 16

Sheriff on April 27: “Personal cell.”

Sheriff through attorney on July 8: Sheriff holds records as “private individual.”

Sheriff through attorney on July 28: Records to be provided after staff spends eight hours reviewing cellphone records and payment by The Oregonian/OregonLive of $288 fee (since paid).

Sheriff through attorney on Aug. 10: Records to be provided after sheriff reviews the records “as his work schedule permits” and after review by his attorneys.

Documents provided: None

Applications filed by special deputies:

Request to sheriff’s civil deputy: March 17

Sheriff on March 31: Writes “ok?” on the request without explanation. Releases no applications.

District attorney on April 4: Orders release of applications.

Sheriff’s civil deputy on April 4: She isn’t “custodian” of the records.

Sheriff through attorney on July 15: Sheriff doesn’t have applications, “might” be held by snowmobile club and separate search and rescue groups.

Documents provided: None

Reports of sheriff’s arrests – 2015

Request: March 14

Sheriff on March 31: “None.”

Sheriff through attorney on July 15: Reports to be provided after attorneys spend two hours reviewing and receive payment from The Oregonian/OregonLive of $140 fee (since paid).

Sheriff through attorney on Aug. 10: Sheriff needs another two weeks to review reports before releasing.

Documents provided: None

Record of handgun licenses issued – 2015

Request: Feb. 16

Sheriff response on March 31: “None.”

Sheriff through attorney on July 15: Office “does not possess.”

Sheriff through attorney on July 28: Office doesn’t have a specific single record.

Documents provided on July 28: A single printout showing the number of handgun licenses issued monthly back to 2014.

Records relating to the arrest of Grant County resident Jim Koitzsch, who later received a $12,000 settlement on his claim of police abuses.

June 1: Request by The Oregonian/OregonLive.

June 13: Request by The Blue Mountain Eagle, a newspaper in John Day.

June 14: Sheriff responds to The Blue Mountain Eagle — “If you want the past records, there will be a copying fee.” That afternoon, Palmer allows reporters from the The Blue Mountain Eagle and a local radio station to read a file containing incident reports and records of other cases dating to 2005.

June 20: Request by Blue Mountain Eagle for a copy of a 2013 incident report involving Koitzsch.

June 20: Sheriff faxes report to Blue Mountain Eagle.

June 22: The Oregonian/OregonLive makes second request for records.

June 23: Sheriff through his attorney to The Oregonian/OregonLive says the Grant County Sheriff’s Office “has been short-staffed since the end of 2015. As a result, the time required to respond to public records requests has and will be significantly longer than in the past” and the records will be provided “as soon as practicable.”

June 24: Attorneys for The Oregonian/OregonLive respond that the news organization has learned that the sheriff’s office already has released the records.

June 28: Sheriff through his lawyer provides The Oregonian/OregonLive copies of the same records released two weeks earlier to the Blue Mountain Eagle.

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