The Virginia FOIA Opinion Archive

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Attorney General's Opinion 1977-78 #309

Master list of restaurant and grocery store health inspections, and presumably the supporting files, are official records.

Attorney General's Opinion 1976-77 #315

Materials forwarded to individual school board members from the school superintendent are not exempt under the working papers exemption.

Attorney General's Opinion 1976-77 #210

Letters of reference are not exempt funder FOIA, but the Privacy Protection Act does prohibit their release.

Attorney General's Opinion 1976-77 #317

Salaries of identifiable employees need not be disclosed. Working papers of school division superintendent are exempt, but not similar papers held by the school board.

Attorney General's Opinion 1976-77 #309

FOIA applies to the General Assembly and its clerks. The telephone recrods of General Assembly members are not exempt as working papers.

Attorney General's Opinion 1974-75 #576

Complaints filed with the county human rights commission and/or tenant-landlord commission are public records. FOIA provisions trump conflicting city ordinances.

Attorney General's Opinion 1975-76 #305

Scholastic record exemption still allows access to the students parents if the student is under 18, and to the parents and the student if he/she is 18 or older.

Attorney General's Opinion 1975-76 #415

Working papers exemption applies to county administrator, but not to the board of supervisors.

Attorney General's Opinion 1975-76 #284

Police departments must maintain arrest and investigative records until such time that the Library of Virginia determines they have no lasting value.

Attorney General's Opinion 1975-76 #412A

Notes made by an official at the Division of Personnel on a federal government report about the operations and policies of the division are official records.

Attorney General's Opinion 1975-76 #409

Citizens entitled to inspect or copy existing official records relating to matters before city council.

Attorney General's Opinion 1975-76 #414

conciliation agreements entered into by all parties in a complaint with the Human Rights Commission are official records subject to disclosure.

Attorney General's Opinion 1975-76 #410

Mere distribution of a letter during executive session without discussion does not violate FOIA, though the letter itself is an official record subject to disclosure upon request.

Attorney General's Opinion 1975-76 #418

Arrest warrant information is open for public inspection, provided such records are actually maintained by the sheriff's office.

Attorney General's Opinion 1974-75 #581

School-by-school results of scholastic achievement tests are open records.

Attorney General's Opinion 1974-75 #569

Person seeking enforcement of FOIA provisions carries burden of proof. Plaintiff must submit affidavit in support of petition for injunction

Attorney General's Opinion 1974-75 #069

A copy of the county clerk of court's report on fees, commission and salaries is an official record subject to public inspection.

Attorney General's Opinion 1974-75 #580

Composite evaluation of school superintendent, made up of several individual evaluations, is exempt as a personnel record.

Attorney General's Opinion 1974-75 #585

Teachers, and all publicly employed persons, have a right to view their own personnel file.

Attorney General's Opinion 1973-74 #456

City job applicant is entitled to see his application and accompanying background report.

Attorney General's Opinion 1973-74 #241

State police not required to provide copies or allow for inspection of accident reports filed with the DMV, though there's nothing to prevent an officer from vonveying the information verbally or from a person getting the report through the DMV.

Attorney General's Opinion 1973-74 #412A

Personal property roll books are not subject to the Tax Code's confidentiality provisions. Nor is a list of business licensees.

Attorney General's Opinion 1972-73 #498A

Welfare, adoption and illegitimate birth records are not open under FOIA. Other code sections prohibit their release.

Archer v. Mayes

SUPREME COURT OF VIRGINIA

Archer v. Mayes

Record No. 8110

194 S.E.2d 707, 213 Va. 633

March 5, 1973

GRACE ARCHER AND JAMES JOHNSON v. D. CARLETON MAYES, JUDGE OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF AMELIA COUNTY; S. L. FARRAR, JR., CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF AMELIA COUNTY; JOHN L. SMITH, JAMES E. FORD AND GRAHAM W. THOMPSON, JURY COMMISSIONERS OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF AMELIA COUNTY

SYLLABUS BY THE COURT

Appeal from an order of the Circuit Court of Amelia County. Hon. William M. Sweeney, judge designate presiding.

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