Records
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FOI Advisory Council Opinion AO-11-00
public body not required to merge two separate databases to create a record containing the information sought by a requester; requester can ask for both databases and manipulate the raw data himself.
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FOI Advisory Council Opinion AO-12-00
once city council members acted on a report that was arguably part of the city manager’s working papers, any exempt status is lost and the document becomes part of the public record.
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FOI Advisory Council Opinion AO-14-00
Complaints against identifiable individuals are exempt personnel records; settlement amounts are public records, but if a record listing all amounts paid does not exist, public body has no duty to compile such a list; reworded request may yield documents sought.
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FOI Advisory Council Opinion AO-17-00
An individual is entitled to his personnel record; general job classification and salary information of public officials is specifically available under FOIA.
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FOI Advisory Council Opinion AO-18-00
Death certificates, as vital records, are not covered by FOIA.
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Fisher v. King
No 1st Amendment right of access to government-held information.
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FOI Advisory Council Opinion AO-05-00
The release of local license taxes assessed against any person, firm or corporation is prohibited by the Tax Code.
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FOI Advisory Council Opinion AO-03-00
A so-called master list of courses offered by a school during the next academic year, the times and who will be teaching them is a public record despite the list’s possible revision by the administration.
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FOI Advisory Council Opinion AO-01-00
Inquiries as to the status of e-mail under the Freedom of Information Act, charges for electronic records, the working papers exemption, assessment of fees for producing a requested record, the meaning of ‘reasonable specificity’
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FOI Advisory Council Opinion AO-02-00
property appraisal cards containing the calculations and methodology used in arriving at individual assessments are available through FOIA.
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Attorney General’s Opinion 2000 #058
Original marriage licenses and certificates maintained by a circuit court clerk are considered vital records open to public inspection; access to microfilmed copies are open to the public, too.
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Connell v. Kersey
Commonwealth Attorney not a public body under FOIA. Criminal incident information need only be summarized; the actual records need not be disclosed.
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Shenandoah Publishing House v. City of Winchester
Document given to city attorney by city manager is protected from mandatory disclosure as attorney-client privilege because it was prepared as part of an active administrative investigation in which legal advice was needed.
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Attorney General’s Opinion 1999 #075
Under law as it existed prior to July 1, 1999, advance notice of a telephone meeting didn’t need to list all locations from where telephone participation was to take place. Post-July 1, 1999, law says all locations must be identified.
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Attorney General’s Opinion 1999 #212
Though the fact of tax delinquency based on gross receipts is public, the amount, name and address of the delinquent taxpayer is exempt from FOIA by section 58.1-3.
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Lawrence v. Jenkins
Not an FOIA violation when a public official chooses to exercise an exemption, redacted exempt information, but failed to timely cite the applicable Code section for the exemption.
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Attorney General’s Opinion 1998 #005
A record’s copyright status does not prevent it from being released under FOIA; lyric sheets and audio tapes are official records.
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Tull v. Brown
Tapes used to record 911 calls are public records, but they are exempt as noncriminal incident information.
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Richmond Newspapers v. Casteen
Materials that would nonetheless be official records standing alone may become exempt correspondence if they are transmitted to a qualified office as a letter.
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Capital Tours v. DMV
FOIA does not require the production of trade secrets or proprietary information.
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Attorney General’s Opinion 1996 #102
Bail and Recognizances: prior AG opinions described as public records commitment papers, continuance cards and other info relevant to making bail, extend to giving it to magistrates who ask for it.
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Coward v. City of Richmond
A valid subpoena duces tecum is not a matter covered by FOIA.
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Wall v. Fairfax County School Board
High school student election results are not official records subject to disclosure under FOIA.
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Redinger v. Casteen
Letters exchanged between an institution of higher learning and a law firm representing a university student are not exempt as work product compiled for use specifically for litigation.