State’s Attorney Stephen Sedensky III will not appeal a judge’s ruling ordering the Wednesday release of the 911 calls made during the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
Last week, Judge Eliot Prescott denied a request by Sedensky to prevent the release of the recordings. Sedensky had asked the court to issue a stay while he appealed a decision by the Freedom of Information Commission, which called on Newtown police to release the recordings to the Associated Press.
Prescott ordered the release of the tapes but gave Sedensky until Dec. 4 to appeal the ruling. Sedensky issued a short statement Monday, saying he would not appeal the ruling.
“After consultation with the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney and the attorney for the Town of Newtown who is a party to the appeal in the Superior Court, we have decided not to pursue an appeal on the denial of the application for a stay,” he said in a statement.
The tapes will be released Wednesday afternoon by attorneys for the town of Newtown.
In his decision Tuesday, Prescott dismissed Sedensky’s legal arguments for preventing disclosure of the tapes. He said delaying their release fueled speculation and undermined public confidence in law enforcement.