(Richmond, IN)--Richmond Mayor Ron Oler has issued a statement regarding the outcome of the lawsuit which was filed last year by RPD’s Adam Blanton and joined later by the city against Wayne County Prosecutor Mike Shipman.  A judge determined that Shipman’s placement of Blanton on the Brady List was justified and dismissed the suit last week.  The city had ten days to challenge the judge’s ruling, and that has expired.  Oler’s statement indicates that the city will not be taking further legal action.  It also said that it was never about protecting one individual.  It was about protecting the integrity of our institutions.  The statement indicates the city spent just under $106,000 in legal fees, with $71,000 coming from the police department and the remainder coming from the mayor’s office.  Here is the statement in its entirety:

We respect the court’s ruling and will not be pursuing any further legal action. I stand behind the course we took. Good government doesn’t react emotionally—it responds deliberately with rational thought and action.  When concerns were raised involving Assistant Chief Adam Blanton, the City of Richmond did what any responsible administration should: we retained a neutral, third-party firm to conduct a full, independent investigation. One third of the total legal expense was dedicated to this process with the Mayor’s Office paying $34,559.22 for the independent team from Indianapolis.  We did this to avoid any conflict of interest from local law enforcement officers who would normally conduct an internal affairs investigation.  That investigation found no misconduct warranting the Prosecutor’s actions or anything along  those lines. The investigators also advised that legal action was warranted—not to escalate conflict, but to uphold the principle that decisions impacting someone’s professional reputation must be based in fairness, due process, and transparency. Therefore, the Police Department paid $71,362.54 to the law firm representing the case.  This was never about protecting one individual. It was about protecting the integrity of our institutions and the first responding professionals who serve this community every day. Our focus
remains on strengthening partnerships, fostering professionalism, and building public trust.  That’s what the people of Richmond deserve—and that’s where we’re headed.  We stood firm when it mattered. And now, we move forward.