By this appeal the Tribune seeks an order compelling the Department to release a copy of the entire database for the year 1991 on 9-track computer tape. The State Records Committee, having reviewed the written materials submitted by the parties and by the Society of Professional Journalists, and having heard the oral argument and testimony of the parties and comments from other interested persons, now issues the following decision and order.
All records are public unless otherwise expressly provided by statute.
See Utah Code Ann. Records to which access is restricted by statute or court rule are not public by virtue of Utah Code Ann. Regarding access, those Federal statutes simply prohibit discovery of the records in a court proceeding. Similarly, UDOT's assertion that the requested records are not public because access is restricted by the State statute found at Utah Code Ann. That statute does provide for confidential treatment of accident reports but it applies only to reports submitted by owners or operators of vehicles or by garages.