TATTERED COVER VIEWS SAY NEWS SOFT ON CRIME

In November of 2000, the Rocky Mountain News covered the Tattered Cover
Bookstore Caper and opined, "We hope the Tattered Cover and its allies in
the publishing world carry on their fight for the right of every one of us
to buy any book we like without Big Brother peering over our shoulder."

In its editorial of Dec. 12, 2001, "Tattered Cover's good fight," the News
said, "If you value your constitutional right to read what you please
without the government snooping, you owe a vote of thanks to the Tattered
Cover Bookstore for its spirited defense of its customers' privacy." In
November of 2000 I was critical of the News and I am even more critical
today. I accused the News of being soft on crime in 2000 and I am saying it
again today.

The Tattered Cover case began when police detectives assigned to the North
Metro Drug Task Force risked their lives to knock down an illegal
methamphetamine lab. Among the evidence they found were two books on how to
manufacture methamphetamine, as well as a mailing label from the Tattered
Cover Bookstore.

They obtained a search warrant in order to better tie down one of the
suspects to the lab by showing that he had purchased these two books. The
Tattered Cover refused to cooperate.

The case then went to Denver District Court Judge Steven Phillips, and he
ruled that the Tattered Cover had to turn over the information to the task
force. Tattered Cover owner Joyce Meskis appealed and the case is now
before the Colorado Supreme Court.

I would urge the court to consider this case carefully. This is not a First
Amendment issue at all. It is simply a case of evidence being withheld that
is needed in a criminal prosecution.

I and my fellow police chiefs urge the Supreme Court to uphold Judge
Phillips' order, and cast a vote for law and order.

Dan Montgomery

Chief of police

Westminster