Hawley defends AG office after federal judge's sanction

ST. LOUIS � Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley is defending his office after a federal judge�s sanction for failure to timely produce documents in a police-brutality case.

U.S. District Judge Audrey Fleissig fined the attorney general�s office $500 last week in connection with a lawsuit filed by Scott O�Rourke, who accused St. Louis police of injuring him during a 2012 protest arrest. The attorney general�s office is defending the department, which was under state control in 2012.

Hawley filed a motion asking Fleissig to reconsider. Hawley said in an interview Monday an assistant attorney general simply misinterpreted the documents request. Meanwhile, he said his office is upgrading software and instituting practices to better track cases and documents.

Hawley, a Republican, is running for the Senate seat held by Democrat Claire McCaskill.