Katherine Kerby

Attorney Katherine Kerby of Columbus has 25 years' experience providing counsel to dozens of government clients.She's also chairwoman of the Mississippi Bar's section on government law.Her own view is that Mississippi Open Meetings and Public Records acts are "simple and straightforward," yet she concedes "there are frequent problematic areas."

Indeed.
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It should also be clear there's more in play here than laws, interpretations of statutory language and opinions, Kerby said.
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As for members of boards and commissions who do receive training about how their public roles differ from a private sector job, Kerby said experience matters.

"Newly elected, first-time officeholders, like other new job folks, seem to shy from the media eye, and more experienced elected officials have learned what is open and what is not.The more experienced then the more surefooted in responding to media requests for information that may be interpreted in more than one way," Kerby said.

Counsel is important, too, she added.

"The board attorney's level of experience is a factor as well as the ability of the legal adviser to stay out of policy matters and politics and just stick to legal applications," she said.

And, as in everything else, though the law makes no distinction, a police chief, supervisor, mayor or alderman who doesn't like a particular person or media representative may erect barriers not intended by the code.That happens, Kerby said, "if either side views the other as a political adversary as opposed to just doing the job in a professional manner."

Columbus lawyer Katherine Kerby has 25 years' experience providing counsel to dozens of government clients.She chairs the Mississippi Bar's section on government law.Her view is Mississippi Open Meetings and Public Records acts are "simple and straightforward," yet she concedes "there are frequent problematic areas."
...
More is in play here than laws, interpretations of statutory language and opinions, Kerby said.For one thing, there is the training and experience of public employees on how to answer inquiries.

"Newly elected, first-time officeholders, like other new job folks, seem to shy from the media eye, and more experienced elected officials have learned what is open and what is not," Kerby said.

Counsel is important, too, she said."The board attorney's level of experience is a factor," she said.

And, as in everything else, a police chief, supervisor, mayor or alderman who doesn't like a particular media representative may erect barriers not intended by the code.That happens, Kerby said, "If either side views the other as a political adversary as opposed to just doing the job in a professional manner."

Attorney Katherine Kerby of Columbus provides counsel to dozens of government clients and is chairwoman of the Mississippi Bar's section on government law.She said that the Mississippi Open Meetings and Public Records act is simple and straightforward, yet she concedes there are frequent problematic areas.