Source: https://texasattorneygeneral.gov/opinions/openrecords/49cornyn/orl/2000/htm/or200002761.htm
Timestamp: 2018-01-24 09:09:18
Document Index: 138781557

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 552', '§ 552', '§ 550', '§ 1', '§ 24', '§ 13', '§ 550', '§ 16', 'art. 6701', '§ 47', '§ 1']

314 West 11th Suite 300
OR2000-2761
You ask whether certain information is subject to required public disclosure under the Public Information Act, chapter 552 of the Government Code. Your request was assigned ID# 137363.
Travis County (the "county") received a request for a copy of case no. 00-7799. You claim that the requested information is excepted from disclosure under sections 552.103, 552.108, and 552.130 of the Government Code. You have submitted the responsive information for our review. We have considered the exceptions you claim and reviewed the submitted information.
You argue the submitted information is excepted from public disclosure under Government Code section 552.108(a)(1). Section 552.108(a)(1) excepts from public disclosure information which would "interfere with the detection, investigation, or prosecution of crime[.]" You explain that the submitted information pertains to a criminal investigation that is ongoing. Based upon this representation and a review of the submitted documents, we find that the submitted information is excepted from disclosure pursuant to section 552.108(a)(1).
However, section 552.108 is inapplicable to basic information about an arrested person, an arrest, or a crime. See Gov't Code § 552.108(c). We believe such basic information refers to the information held to be public in Houston Chronicle Publishing Co. v. City of Houston, 531 S.W.2d 177 (Tex. Civ. App.--Houston [14th Dist.] 1975), writ ref'd n.r.e. per curiam, 536 S.W.2d 559 (Tex. 1976). Thus, you must release the type of information that is considered to be front page offense report information, even if this information is not actually located on the front page of the requested report. Thus, with the exception of the basic front page offense information, you may withhold the requested information from disclosure based on section 552.108(a)(1). Although section 552.108(a)(1) authorizes you to withhold the remaining information from disclosure, you may choose to release all or part of the information at issue that is not otherwise confidential by law. See Gov't Code § 552.007. As section 552.108(a)(1) is dispositive, we need not address your other claims.(1)
We note that the information you seek to withhold includes an accident report form that appears to have been completed pursuant to chapter 550 of the Transportation Code. See Transp. Code § 550.064 (officer's accident report). The Seventy-fourth Legislature amended section 47 of article 6701d, V.T.C.S. to provide for release of accident reports to a person who provides two of the following three pieces of information: (1) date of the accident; (2) name of any person involved in the accident; and (3) specific location of the accident. See Act of May 27, 1995, 74th Leg., R.S., ch. 894, § 1, 1995 Tex. Gen. Laws 4413. Further, the Seventy-fourth Legislature also repealed and codified article 6701d as section 550.065 of the Transportation Code without substantive change. See Act of May 1, 1995, 74th Leg., R.S., ch. 165, §§ 24, 25, 1995 Tex. Gen. Laws 1025, 1870-71.(2) In section 13 of Senate Bill 1069, the Seventy-fifth Legislature amended section 550.065 of the Transportation Code to provide for release of accident reports under specific circumstances. Act of May 29, 1997, 75th Leg., R.S., ch. 1187, § 13, 1997 Tex. Gen. Laws 4575, 4582-83 (current version at Transp. Code § 550.065). The Seventy-fifth Legislature also repealed section 47 of article 6701d, V.T.C.S. in section 16 of Senate Bill 1069. Id. § 16(b), 1997 Tex. Gen. Laws 4575, 4583.
V.T.C.S. art. 6701d, § 47(b)(1). See Act of May 27, 1995, 74th Leg., R.S., ch. 894, § 1, 1995 Tex. Gen. Laws 4413.(4) Under this provision, a law enforcement agency employing a peace officer who made an accident report "is required to release" a copy of an accident report to a person who provides the law enforcement agency with two or more pieces of information specified by the statute. Id. In the instant request, the requestor has not supplied the requisite two pieces of information. Because the requestor has not complied with section 47(b)(1) of article 6701d, you need not release the accident report.
Ref:	ID# 137363
cc:	Mr. Roy Gove
306 Mesa Verde
1. Generally, basic information may not be withheld from public disclosure under section 552.103. See Open Records Decision No. 362 (1983).