Opinion
Opinion By: Gregory D. Stumbo,Attorney General;Michelle D. Harrison,Assistant Attorney General
Open Records Decision
At issue in this appeal is whether Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex violated the Kentucky Open Records Act in denying the request of Leonard Simms, an inmate at EKCC, dated March 19, 2004, for a copy of his "time sheet." In a timely response, T.A. Williams, EKCC Records Custodian, advised Mr. Simms as follows:
Your sentence calculations have not been approved by Central Office as of this date. Your record contains unaudit[ed] information that affects your sentence calculations and this is considered preliminary information. Per KRS 61.878(1)(j)[,] documents which contain "preliminary recommendations . . ." are exempt from inspection. When this office receives final approval, you will be sent a copy of your inmate summary sheet which will show your new minimum expiration date.
By letter dated August 18, 2004, Mr. Simms initiated this appeal.
Upon receiving notification of Mr. Simms' appeal, Emily Dennis, Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, Office of Legal Services, responded on behalf of EKCC. As correctly observed by Ms. Dennis, "the Attorney General's consideration of an appeal of EKCC's [March 22, 2004,] denial of Mr. Simms' request dated [March 19, 2004,] is time-barred. " KRS 197.025(3) provides:
KRS 61.880 to the contrary notwithstanding, all persons confined in a penal facility shall challenge the denial of an open record with the Attorney General by mailing or otherwise sending the appropriate documents to the Attorney General within twenty (20) days of the denial pursuant to the procedures set out in KRS 61.880(2) before an appeal can be filed in circuit court. (Emphasis added).
As noted, EKCC denied Mr. Simms' request on March 22, 2004. However, Mr. Simms did not initiate this appeal challenging the denial of his request until August 18, 2004. By its express terms, KRS 197.025(3) applies to "any denial" of a request submitted by an inmate under the Open Records Act. To determine legislative intent, this office must refer to the literal language of the statute as enacted rather than surmising what may have been intended but was not articulated.
Stogner v. Commonwealth, Ky. App., 35 S.W.2d 831, 835 (2000). Because Mr. Simms is "a person confined in a penal facility," and he failed to challenge EKCC's denial within twenty days as mandated by KRS 197.025(3), his appeal is untimely. Accordingly, this office is precluded from rendering a decision on the merits. 03-ORD-007, 02-ORD-110, and 02-ORD-54, copies of which are attached hereto and incorporated by reference, are controlling.
According to Ms. Dennis, however, the Department of Corrections has changed "its past practice of denying an inmate access to his or her resident record card on the basis that the resident record card has not been audited" since Mr. Simms submitted his request, and Ms. Williams has assured her that she will notify Mr. Simms of this change in policy. Upon receiving payment of the fee charged for copies, "Mr. Simms will receive the record" to which he was denied access in March of this year. 40 KAR 1:030, Section 6 provides: "Moot complaints. If requested documents are made available to the complaining party after a complaint is made, the Attorney General shall decline to issue a decision in the matter." See 04-ORD-046; 03-ORD-087. Consistent with this mandate, the Attorney General has consistently held that if access to public records which are the subject of a request is initially denied but subsequently granted, "the propriety of the initial denial becomes moot. " 04-ORD-046, p. 5, citing OAG 91-140.
Absent evidence to the contrary, this office assumes that Mr. Simms has received or will receive a copy of his "resident record card" upon prepayment of the copying fee. Even if Mr. Simms' appeal was not time-barred, therefore, this office would be precluded from rendering a decision on the merits since any issues relative to the record at issue are now moot.
A party aggrieved by this decision may appeal it by initiating an 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.
Leonard Simms, # 167845Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex200 Road to JusticeWest Liberty, KY 41472
T. A. WilliamsEastern Kentucky Correctional Complex200 Road to JusticeWest Liberty, KY 41472
Emily DennisDepartment of CorrectionsOffice of Legal Services2439 Lawrenceburg RoadP.O. Box 2400Frankfort, KY 40602-2400