MESA, Ariz. (AP) -- Taxpayers will have to pay nearly $38,000 to cover a newspaper's court costs in a lawsuit against the Maricopa County Sheriff's Department over the release of public records.

The West Valley View successfully sued the sheriff's department for failing to respond to a public records request for routine press releases given to all other media.

The sheriff's office stopped sending press releases to the paper in the summer of 2005 because it was unhappy with its coverage of the department.

In August, the Arizona Court of Appeals ordered the sheriff to give the paper copies of any release it also sends to other media outlets.

The sheriff's office said it made the records available but required reporters to pick them up at a substation, rather then e-mailing them as the agency did with other media.

Deputy Chief Jack MacIntyre said there's no legal requirement to fax or e-mail public records and that his office did not act in "bad faith."

State judges saw it differently and found in favor of the paper, later ordering the sheriff's department to pay court costs.

The sheriff's department agreed Tuesday to cover the newspaper's court costs.

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Information from: East Valley Tribune/Scottsdale Tribune, http://www.eastvalleytribune.com

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