NBA correspondence with Gwinnett County Police Department | Dwight Howard

Dear Bradford Davis:

Thank you for your interest in public records of Gwinnett County. Your request has been received and is being processed in accordance with the Georgia Open Records Act. Your request was received in this office on 12/11/2024 and given the reference number R202868-121124 for tracking purposes. Records Requested: To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Georgia Open Records Act, I hereby request the following records:

1: All phone, text or email correspondence between your department and National Basketball Association (NBA) staff referencing Dwight Howard (DOB: 12/8/85) between the following dates:

RE: Public Records Request created on December 11, 2024, Reference # R202868-121124

Dear Bradford,

Gwinnett County received a public records request from you on December 11, 2024. You requested the followi
"To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Georgia Open Records Act, I hereby request the following records:

1: All phone, text or email correspondence between your department and National Basketball Association (NBA) staff referencing Dwight Howard (DOB: 12/8/85) between the following dates:

"1/1/22-8/1/22 and 7/1/23-8/21/24

While correspondence between your department and NBA staffers may include conversations with people beyond the following names, I've provided these people to assist with your search:

Elizabeth Maringer:
emaringer@nba.com
plegmarks@aol.com

Katherine Malone:
kmalone@nba.com

Leon Newsome:
lnewsome@nba.com

Katelyn Cannella West:
kwest@nba.com
kcanella@nba.com
kcanellawest@nba.com
kcanella-west@nba.com

Blaise Ross:
bross@nba.com

2: We're also requesting 911 calls, arrest reports, and investigative records (which can include chronological records of events, property and evidence logs, witness lists, interview notes from officers examining the case, photos and videos included in the case file, search warrant affidavits, case summaries, and charges recommended to the prosecuting agency) referencing Dwight Howard (DOB: 12/8/85) between the following date range:

1/1/22-8/1/22 and 7/1/23-8/21/24

3: We're also requesting a FOIA log for related requests referencing Dwight Howard (DOB: 12/8/85) between 1/1/22 and the date this request was received. We want:

1) The log or file number
2) The date the request was received
3) The name of the persons/organization (besides ourselves) making requests related to the above
4) A description of the information sought
5) The date the response was sent
6) The type of response your office sent (granted, denied or partial release)

Please provide a signed notification citing the legal authorities on which you rely if you determine that any information is exempt and will not be disclosed.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public free of charge and processed by a representative of the news media/press and is made in the process of news gathering and not for commercial usage, and therefore we request that you waive any costs.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I also ask that our request be filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available (email: holler@bwd.nyc) – if not, secure file transfer, thumb drive, or CD-ROM. I am also available via phone at 718.360.6359 to discuss any questions you have about the request.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 3 business days, as the statute requires.

Bradford William Davis and Yelena Dzhanova

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/

In reference to your records request, Gwinnett County requires additional time to respond. This is due to more time needed to research and gather responsive records.

Accordingly, we estimate that our expected completion date will be 12/20/2024.

If charges apply to fulfill the open records request, we will proceed in accordance with O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71(c)(1) and O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71(d) of the Georgia Open Records Act.

Thank you for your patience in awaiting this information.

Sincerely,

Valerie Porter
Customer Service Asc III
Police
770.513.5276"

--- Please respond above this line ---

RE: OPEN RECORDS REQUEST of December 11, 2024., Reference # R202868-121124.
Dear Bradford Davis,
Gwinnett County received an open records request from you on December 11, 2024. Your request mentioned: "To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Georgia Open Records Act, I hereby request the following records:

1: All phone, text or email correspondence between your department and National Basketball Association (NBA) staff referencing Dwight Howard (DOB: 12/8/85) between the following dates:

"1/1/22-8/1/22 and 7/1/23-8/21/24

While correspondence between your department and NBA staffers may include conversations with people beyond the following names, I've provided these people to assist with your search:

Elizabeth Maringer:
emaringer@nba.com
plegmarks@aol.com

Katherine Malone:
kmalone@nba.com

Leon Newsome:
lnewsome@nba.com

Katelyn Cannella West:
kwest@nba.com
kcanella@nba.com
kcanellawest@nba.com
kcanella-west@nba.com

Blaise Ross:
bross@nba.com

2: We're also requesting 911 calls, arrest reports, and investigative records (which can include chronological records of events, property and evidence logs, witness lists, interview notes from officers examining the case, photos and videos included in the case file, search warrant affidavits, case summaries, and charges recommended to the prosecuting agency) referencing Dwight Howard (DOB: 12/8/85) between the following date range:

1/1/22-8/1/22 and 7/1/23-8/21/24

3: We're also requesting a FOIA log for related requests referencing Dwight Howard (DOB: 12/8/85) between 1/1/22 and the date this request was received. We want:

1) The log or file number
2) The date the request was received
3) The name of the persons/organization (besides ourselves) making requests related to the above
4) A description of the information sought
5) The date the response was sent
6) The type of response your office sent (granted, denied or partial release)

Please provide a signed notification citing the legal authorities on which you rely if you determine that any information is exempt and will not be disclosed.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public free of charge and processed by a representative of the news media/press and is made in the process of news gathering and not for commercial usage, and therefore we request that you waive any costs.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I also ask that our request be filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available (email: holler@bwd.nyc) – if not, secure file transfer, thumb drive, or CD-ROM. I am also available via phone at 718.360.6359 to discuss any questions you have about the request.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 3 business days, as the statute requires.

Bradford William Davis and Yelena Dzhanova

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/

Gwinnett County has reviewed its files and has located responsive records to your request. Portions of the records requested are exempt from disclosure under the Georgia Open Records Act andhave been [redacted or excluded] for the following reasons:

O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72(a)(20)-Records that reveal an individual's personal information that is exempt from disclosure.

Please log in to the Open Records Center at the following link to retrieve the appropriate responsive documents.

Gwinnett County Public Records Center Public Records Request - R202868-121124

Click on My Request Center
Click on View My Requests - Choose the request you want to view.
Click on View Files
Your request will open, and any files/attachments associated with the request. Click on the title of the document you wish to download from the “Files” box.
Note: If you are using Chrome as your browser, the documents will download at the bottom of the screen. You will need to click on the document(s) at the bottom of the screen once it downloads to open/view the file. If the files do not appear to be downloading, please check your firewall and pop-up blocker settings.
If you have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact my office at 770.513.5276.

Sincerely,

Valerie Porter
Customer Service Asc III
Police"

--- Please respond above this line ---

Mr. Davis,
RE: Dwight Howard
Ms. Porter is out of the office and will return tomorrow 12/20/2024. I will notate your request and she will reach out to you when she returns.
Have a good day.
Taneshia Jett

--- Please respond above this line ---

Good afternoon Mr. Davis
Investigating Officer O'Donovan advised there was no correspondence between this agency and the NBA staff.
The initial incident report was requested and released to the following:
R102853 - MARK SCHLABACH/ESPN ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2022, RELEASED ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2022.
R102757 - DANIEL MURPHY/ESPN ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2022, RELEASED ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2022.
R102696 - CLISHA FRANCIS ON SEPTEMBER 25, 2022, RELEASED ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2022.
R102684 - VEE CHANTAL ON SEPTEMBER 23, 2022, RELEASED ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2022.
I apologize for this oversight. If I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely
Valerie Porter, CSA III
Gwinnett County Police Open Records