Attorneygeneral's Public Records Meetings Manual
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STATE OF OREGON DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S PUBLIC RECORDS AND MEETINGS MANUAL “Knowledge will forever govern ignorance. And a people who mean to be their own governors, must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives. A popular government without popular information or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy, or perhaps both.” James Madison (1822) ELLEN F. ROSENBLUM Attorney General November 2014 STATEMENT OF NONDISCRIMINATION AND COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA) The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) requires all programs, services and activities of state and local governmental agencies to be accessible to persons with disabilities. The Oregon Department of Justice does not discriminate in providing access to its programs, services and activities on the basis of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, political affiliation, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, or any other inappropriate reason prohibited by law or policy of the state or federal government. For additional information regarding (1) the department’s ADA compliance, (2) its policy of nondiscrimination, (3) availability of the information on this pamphlet in a different format, or (4) procedures for resolving a complaint that the department has discriminated in providing access to the department’s programs, services and activities, please contact the department’s ADA Coordinator: ADA Coordinator 1162 Court Street N.E. Salem, Oregon 97301-4096 Telephone: 503-947-4342 — Voice 800-735-2900 — TTY 503-378-3784 — Fax © 2014 State of Oregon acting by and through its Department of Justice All rights reserved Additional copies may be purchased from: Publications Section Department of Justice 1162 Court Street N.E. Salem, Oregon 97301-4096 For current price, please call: (503) 378-2992 TTY: (800) 735-2900 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... xix PREFACE ....................................................................................................... xxi I. PUBLIC RECORDS ..................................................................................... 1 A. WHO HAS THE RIGHT TO INSPECT PUBLIC RECORDS? .................................. 1 B. WHO IS SUBJECT TO THE PUBLIC RECORDS LAW? ......................................... 2 1. Public Bodies ............................................................................................. 2 2. Private Bodies ............................................................................................ 3 C. WHAT RECORDS ARE COVERED BY THE LAW? ............................................. 5 1. Writing ....................................................................................................... 6 2. Prepared, Owned, Used or Retained .......................................................... 8 D. HOW CAN A PERSON INSPECT OR OBTAIN PUBLIC RECORDS ........................ 9 1. Making a Request ....................................................................................... 9 2. Records Custodian ................................................................................... 10 3. Acknowledging a Request ......................................................................... 11 4. Proper and Reasonable Opportunity to Inspect ....................................... 12 5. Copying .................................................................................................... 14 6. Public Body Prerogatives ......................................................................... 15 a. Protective Rules ........................................................................................... 15 b. Fees .............................................................................................................. 16 (1) Fee Schedules ....................................................................................... 18 (2) Waiver or Reduction of Fees ................................................................ 19 (a) Public Interest Test .......................................................................... 20 (b) Decision on Fee Waiver or Reduction ............................................. 22 c. Consultation with Legal Counsel ................................................................. 24 d. Retention and Destruction of Public Records .............................................. 24 E. WHAT PUBLIC RECORDS ARE EXEMPT FROM DISCLOSURE? ....................... 26 1. The Nature of the Exemptions .................................................................. 26 2. What Are Conditional and Unconditional Exemptions from Disclosure? 29 3. What Is “The Public Interest in Disclosure”? ......................................... 30 4. The Catalogue of Exemptions .................................................................. 31 a. The Personal Safety Exemption ................................................................... 31 b. The Public Employee Photo ID Badge and Card Exemption ....................... 33 c. Concealed Handgun License Holder Information Exemption ...................... 34 d. The “Conditional” Exemptions of ORS 192.501 ......................................... 36 (1) Public Records Pertaining to Litigation ................................................ 37 (2) Trade Secrets......................................................................................... 39 (3) Criminal Investigatory Material ............................................................ 42 (4) Tests and Examination Material ............................................................ 45 (5) Business Records Required to be Submitted ......................................... 47 (6) Real Estate Appraisal Information ........................................................ 48 (7) Employee Representation Cards ........................................................... 48 (8) Civil Rights Investigation Material ....................................................... 48 (9) Unfair Labor Practice Complaints......................................................... 49 iii (10) Debt Consolidating Agency Investigation Records............................. 49 (11) Archaeological Site Information ......................................................... 50 (12) Personnel Discipline Actions .............................................................. 50 (13) Information about Threatened or Endangered Species ........................ 52 (14) Faculty Research ................................................................................. 53 (15) Computer Programs for the Use of Public Bodies .............................. 54 (16) Agricultural Producer Indebtedness Mediation Data .......................... 54 (17) Unsafe Workplace Investigation Materials ......................................... 55 (18) Public Safety Plans ............................................................................. 55 (19) Telecommunications Utility Audits .................................................... 56 (20) Residence Address of Elector ............................................................. 57 (21) Housing Authority and Urban Renewal Agency Records ................... 57 (22) Interference with Property or Services ................................................ 58 (23) Security Measures ............................................................................... 59 (24) OHSU and OUS Donation Records .................................................... 60 (25) OUS Donation Records ....................................................................... 60 (26) Commodity Commission Filers .......................................................... 60 (27) Financial Transfer Records ................................................................. 61 (28) Social Security Numbers in Particular Court Records ........................ 61 (29) Student Electronic Mail Addresses ..................................................... 61 (30) OHSU Medical Researcher Records ................................................... 62 (31) Personal Information of Public Safety Officers Appearing in Certain ... Records ............................................................................................... 62 (32) Personal Information of Certain Government Attorneys..................... 63 (33) Land Management Plans ..................................................................... 64 (34) SAIF Corporation Business Records ................................................... 64 (35) Public Safety Officer Investigations ................................................... 65 (36) Medical Examiner Records ................................................................. 65 (37) Ongoing Audits of Public Bodies ....................................................... 65 d. The Exemptions of ORS 192.502 ................................................................ 66 (1) Internal Advisory Communications ...................................................... 66 (a) Types of Records ............................................................................. 68 (b) Balancing Disclosure and Nondisclosure ........................................ 69 (2) Personal Privacy Exemption ................................................................. 73 (a) Personal Information ........................................................................ 75 (b) Unreasonable Invasion of Privacy ..................................................