Scott Eckersley and Matt "baby" Blunt: there's a lawsuit in here somewhere

I wonder if there was a settlement conference that didn't go so well.

I read this item....

Suit alleges illegal destruction of state e-mails

By Jo Mannies

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

01/09/2008

...The suit includes allegations about a meeting convened last summer by Blunt's general counsel at the time, Henry Herschel. At the meeting, the suit contends, Herschel told lawyers for all departments under the governor that e-mails about state business "would not have to be turned over in response to Sunshine Law requests if they were destroyed and not retained."

The suit also contends that Blunt's chief of staff at the time, Ed Martin, ordered all staff members to make sure they were deleting e-mails. Martin and other top Blunt aides also are accused of orchestrating the destruction of the state's computer backup system for such e-mails.

...then found this:

0816-CV00118 - SCOTT ECKERSLEY V MATTHEW ROY BLUNT ET AL

I called the office of the filing attorney in Springfield, but he was out. Then I contacted a few other sources and found out that the lawsuit was on file at the Jackson County Court Annex in Independence. I decided to drive there to get a copy.

When I arrived at the Courthouse I found the civil records office and handed the clerk the case number. I described the case, then she smiled and said, "You could have just asked for it by name, we have copies ready right here." Evidently they were selling like hotcakes.

The entirety of the filing is worse than the impression one gets from the limited news reports. In my effort to get this posted in a timely manner I've deferred my own commentary.  

The complete text of the filing (over 5000 words) is at Show Me Progress.