Judges Split on Police Lawsuit Seals | Kansas City News

Kansas City News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jul 9, 2026 · 2m

Two Jackson County judges are deadlocked over whether lawsuits against the Independence Police Department should be sealed — one says yes, the other says no — sparking a legal tug-of-war over transparency. The cases allege retaliation against officers who reported misconduct, including supervisors drinking before driving city vehicles and a colleague using stolen license plates. While state law protects internal affairs investigations, experts say that doesn’t automatically seal civil lawsuits mentioning them. One judge ruled the allegations can be public, while the other sided with the city…