Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch issued the following statement this morning:

"Shortly before the disposition of The Station fire criminal cases last September, I promised the victims' family members and loved ones that once the cases were disposed, I would move to release as much information about this tragedy as I could, as quickly as I could. Although it has presented high hurdles in the intervening months, I am very proud of the fact that to this day, my Office is fulfilling this promise. Our continuing efforts have brought to pass two prior disclosures of a significant volume of case evidence and today's historic disclosure of more than 10,000 pages of grand jury testimony and witness statements.

"I firmly believe that our disclosures of information have served the public interest and public good, but I have no illusions about the high costs they have privately exacted upon The Station fire families. I understand that the release of case information -- and particularly today's information, which describes and depicts the events of Feb. 20, 2003, in vivid detail -- could well be very traumatic and painful, and I want the victims' families and the survivors to know how much I regret any further sorrow this causes them. As we have done from the start of this process, we are trying our utmost to balance their sensitivities and feelings with our obligations pursuant to Rhode Island's open-government laws.

"I would respectfully ask anyone who truly cares about this case to read everything we are disclosing today before forming an opinion about it. Unfortunately, experience has recently shown that a limited view of information, or the presentation of a limited point of view about information, can actually result in misinformation. I would also remind the

public that although a grand jury has broad powers, it is impaneled for a very narrow purpose: to review the adequacy of evidence, and then, based on the existing laws of the State -- not the laws that somebody might wish could be applied to a case -- to decide whether or not to indict a suspect. A prosecutor who fails to keep a grand jury focused on its purpose is misusing and even abusing his powers.

"With today's disclosure, we will have released many of the records relating to The Station fire. More information, however, is to come. We will assess how many records remain to be released and we will continue meeting this task in the most diligent, professional, and dignified manner possible."