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Opinion

Opinion By: Jack Conway, 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 Ohio 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 James Williams' request for a copy of "the sentencing proceedings from the original judge, Hon. Kopowski, entered August 7, 2002."

The Campbell Circuit Court Clerk indicates that on August 9, 2007, her office mailed Mr. Williams a copy of the Judgment on Guilty Plea, entered on August 7, 2002, and the Judgment and Sentence on Plea of Guilty entered on September 25, 2002. Because the circuit clerk is not bound by the provisions of the Act, she was not statutorily required to honor Mr. Williams' earlier request. We find no error in her disposition of his current request. We believe that 98-ORD-6, a copy of which is attached hereto and incorporated by reference, is controlling.

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.

Distributed to:

James Williams, #202522Thomas Calme

LLM Summary
The Attorney General's decision finds that the Ohio Circuit Court Clerk is not bound by the Kentucky Open Records Act and did not violate the Act in handling James Williams' request for specific court documents. The decision follows the precedent set in 98-ORD-006, which is cited as controlling in determining the obligations of the circuit clerk under the Act.
Disclaimer:
The Sunshine Law Library is not exhaustive and may contain errors from source documents or the import process. Nothing on this website should be taken as legal advice. It is always best to consult with primary sources and appropriate counsel before taking any action.
Requested By:
James Williams
Agency:
Campbell Circuit Court Clerk
Type:
Open Records Decision
Lexis Citation:
2009 Ky. AG LEXIS 136
Cites:
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