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Opinion

Opinion By: Albert B. Chandler III, Attorney General; Amye L. Bensenhaver, Assistant Attorney General

Open Records Decision

This matter having been presented to the Attorney General in an open records appeal, and the Attorney General being sufficiently advised, we find that the Boone Circuit Court Clerk is not bound by the provisions of the Kentucky Open Records Act, and therefore did not violate the Act in the disposition of Ernest Schnitzler's request for a copy of records generated at his October 2, 2001, revocation hearing. We believe that 98-ORD-6, a copy of which is attached hereto and incorporated by reference, is controlling.

With reference to Mr. Schnitzler's assertion that the clerk failed to honor Judge Joseph Bamberger's August 14, 2002, order to provide him with a copy of these records, we note that the Attorney General has no authority to enforce the court's order or otherwise compel the clerk to provide him with the records.

A party aggrieved by this decision may appeal it by initiating action in the appropriate circuit court pursuant to KRS 61.880(5) and KRS 61.882. Pursuant to KRS 61.880(3), the Attorney General should be notified of any action in circuit court, but should not be named as a party in that action or in any subsequent proceeding.

Ernest Schnitzler, # 153593Marion Adjustment CenterS.M.U.-Bed # 122-A95 Raywick Rd.St. Mary, KY 40063

Pat Gutzeit, ClerkBoone Circuit CourtAdministration Building2950 E. Washington SquareP.O. Box 480Burlington, KY 41005-0480

LLM Summary
The Attorney General's decision concludes that the Boone Circuit Court Clerk is not subject to the Kentucky Open Records Act regarding the request for records from Ernest Schnitzler's revocation hearing. The decision follows the precedent set in 98-ORD-006, which is directly applied to affirm that the clerk's actions did not violate the Open Records Act. Additionally, the decision notes that the Attorney General does not have the authority to enforce a court order or compel the clerk to provide the records.
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Requested By:
Ernest Schnitzler
Agency:
Boone Circuit Court Clerk
Type:
Open Records Decision
Lexis Citation:
2002 Ky. AG LEXIS 275
Cites:
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