Another issue that has arisen is that the report has not been released to council members (Yocom and litigation chief John Soltis have kept it under tight control), meaning the council will be deciding whether to release something they themselves have not seen.

"How do we weigh the public interest and the private interest when we can't see the document?" said Councilman Joe Hatch. "And if the document is given to the council members, it increases the likelihood that it would be leaked to the press."

Skousen and Harmsen aren't the only ones to speak out on their inclinations, by the way; Hatch has indicated his own, but going the other way.

If the report were released, "every single sexual investigation done by this county would be leaked out," he said. "If you want to eliminate that tool, then go ahead. . . . We have to maintain the integrity of the institution."

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E-mail: aedwards@desnews.com