SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WOWO): South Bend leaders met Wednesday night to discuss the future of the controversial South Bend police tapes following a recent court ruling that ordered the recordings destroyed.

The recordings, made nearly 15 years ago on a police department phone line, have been the subject of legal and political debate for years. The tapes are reported to contain racist comments made by individuals who did not know their conversations were being recorded.

A judge recently ruled that the recordings cannot be released to the public because doing so would violate both state and federal wiretap laws. The court also ordered the tapes destroyed.

However, the recordings will not be destroyed immediately. They must be preserved while the appeals process continues, allowing higher courts to review the ruling before any final action is taken.

Wednesday night’s discussion focused on what steps may come next as the legal battle moves forward. No final decisions were made during the meeting.

The future of the recordings remains uncertain as appeals continue through the court system.