A new law that just took effect here in North Dakota seals court records in concluded cases that don't result in a conviction. That would mean instances where the defendant was acquitted, or when the charges were dismissed, or any other outcome that's not a guilty plea or verdict.

The argument in favor of the law is that it's not fair to the defendants to have those cases in the public record. After all, as a matter of law, if they aren't convicted of the charges against them, they are innocent. But if the cases are accessible, they may be judged for them anyway, especially in instances like hiring or housing.

But what about transparency? What does sealing those records mean for the public and the news media's ability to scrutinize those cases to ensure that the acquittal, or dismissal, or other non-conviction outcome was ethical and lawful?

I believe the cases should remain open to ensure accountability for all parties involved.

Adam Martin, the founder of the F5 Project and our guest on this episode of Plain Talk, feels the opposite. For every instance where there might be a defendant who got off because of untoward machinations by the judge, or the prosecutor, or some other state official, "there's 500 people...that are struggling with getting jobs or housing or whatever for something that they didn't even do," Martin said.

Martin goes even further and argues that in the future we should also close off access to police and other records that don't result in a conviction. "If something's pardoned, if something's dismissed or whatever, I think it should be wiped across the board," he said.

Also on this episode, my co-host Chad Oban and I discussed whether SNAP benefits should cover things like energy drinks and candy bars, and the impact the "warrior cop" ethos has on law enforcement mental health and morale.

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"There are currently three ethics complaints against my office," Attorney General Drew Wrigley said on this episode of Plain Talk.

It's a startling admission, but Wrigley says the complaints are spurious, and that the state Ethics Commission, which he has been outspokenly critical of, is hording complaints like those, instead of clearing them, for political purposes.

"Somebody lodged a complaint that human trafficking is a problem in North Dakota," Wrigley said, describing the complaints. "The legislature has allocated dollars to be handed out in grants through the attorney general's office. There are only three months left in the legislative, in the budget cycle, rather, in the bienium, and they still haven't passed out all the money. Ethics complaint. Three of them."

Wrigley disputed that the Ethics Commission has jurisdiction in two of the complaints and that all three have reasonable explanations unrelated to ethics.

Wrigley says his office has been contacting groups as potential recipients of the funds, but has struggled to find takers. "That's what it is. There it is. But that's been there for three or four months. They've [the Ethics Commission] never even contacted us about it because you know why? They don't want to. They want that backlog to be able to have this discussion."

The attorney general brought up this anecdote to illustrate his argument that the Ethics Commission lacks efficiency, transparency, accountability, and fails to conform to constitutional norms. He is calling on the Ethics Commission to foster a more collaborative and cooperative relationship with the rest of the state government, but my co-host Chad Oban and I asked him how that squares with his own, at times, aggressive behavior toward the commission.

Wrigley says his office's criticisms are about "professional, practical, and legal infirmities" at the commission.

If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It’s super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you’re from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below.

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I spent a little time on this episode of Plain Talk bemoaning the horrendous performance of my beloved New York Yankees. Poor roster construction and poor fundamental play are difficult things to watch. Co-host Chad Oban ate it up, as you might imagine, but baseball isn't all we discussed.

We touched on the baffling controversy over Sydney Sweeney's jeans commercial. For some reason, this has convulsed the nation, starting with left-wing critics who claim the ad promotes some master race message about eugenics, which of course inspired the MAGA crowd to rally around Sweeney as their new hero. It makes me wonder if comedian and actor Marc Maron is right when he says that progressives have "annoyed the average American into fascism."

Shifting to North Dakota politics, we talked about Fargo leaders trying to pin their budget woes on property tax reform. I argued on the podcast, and in a previous column, that Mayor Tim Mahoney's budget is calculated to produce political talking points, not solutions, and Oban agreed, pointing out that Fargo's fiscal problems predate the 3% spending cap passed earlier this year.

We addressed my controversial story about education lobbyist Aimee Copas and her alleged activities at a Mandan waterpark as detailed in a police report.

I got flak from some who said that the story wasn't news. My argument? Copas, the executive director of the North Dakota Council of Educational Leaders, is one of the most consequential people in North Dakota when it comes to education policy. When a police report alleges that she and her husband were engaging in sexual activities in public, at a water park, the public deserves to know about it.

Also on this episode, we cover the delays in Superintendent Kirsten Baesler's appointment to a position in the Trump administration, and whether or not her bid might be scuttled by opposition from the MAGA right. Plus, North Dakota's new porn verification law probably isn't stopping anyone from watching porn on the internet.

If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It’s super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you’re from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode.