Source: https://texasattorneygeneral.gov/opinions/openrecords/50abbott/orl/2002/htm/or200207262.htm
Timestamp: 2018-01-22 16:35:13
Document Index: 128260135

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 411', 'art 20', '§ 411', '§ 411', '§ 411', '§ 405']

Abbott Open Records Letter Ruling OR2002-7262
Ms. Denise G. Obinegbo
OR2002-7262
You ask whether certain information is subject to required public disclosure under chapter 552 of the Government Code. Your request was assigned ID# 174275.
The City of Richardson Police Department (the "department") received a request for any information pertaining to a named individual, including police reports, arrest records, domestic disputes, and any 9-1-1 tapes. You explain that the department has no 9-1-1 recordings and no incidents on file involving domestic disturbances.(1) You claim that the submitted information is excepted from disclosure under section 552.101 of the Government Code. We have considered the exception you claim and reviewed the submitted information.
Section 552.101 of the Government Code excepts from disclosure "information considered to be confidential by law, either constitutional, statutory, or by judicial decision." Section 552.101 also encompasses the doctrine of common-law privacy. For information to be protected from public disclosure by the common-law right of privacy under section 552.101, the information must meet the criteria set out in Industrial Foundation v. Texas Industrial Accident Board, 540 S.W.2d 668 (Tex. 1976), cert. denied, 430 U.S. 931 (1977). In Industrial Foundation, the Texas Supreme Court stated that information is excepted from disclosure if (1) the information contains highly intimate or embarrassing facts the release of which would be highly objectionable to a reasonable person and (2) the information is not of legitimate concern to the public. 540 S.W.2d at 685. Where an individual's criminal history information has been compiled by a governmental entity, the information takes on a character that implicates the individual's right to privacy. See id. In this instance, the requestor asks for all information concerning a certain person. In this case, we believe that the individual's right to privacy has been implicated. Thus, where the named individual is a possible suspect, arrestee, or defendant, we conclude that the department must withhold this information under common-law privacy as encompassed by section 552.101 of the Government Code. See id.; cf. Gov't Code § 411.082(2) (definition of criminal history record information does not include driving record information).
Criminal history record information ("CHRI") generated by the National Crime Information Center ("NCIC") or by the Texas Crime Information Center ("TCIC") is confidential. Title 28, part 20 of the Code of Federal Regulations governs the release of CHRI that states obtain from the federal government or other states. Open Records Decision No. 565 (1990). The federal regulations allow each state to follow its individual law with respect to CHRI it generates. Id. Section 411.083 of the Government Code deems confidential CHRI that the Department of Public Safety ("DPS") maintains, except that the DPS may disseminate this information as provided in chapter 411, subchapter F of the Government Code. See Gov't Code § 411.083.
Sections 411.083(b)(1) and 411.089(a) authorize a criminal justice agency to obtain CHRI; however, a criminal justice agency may not release CHRI except to another criminal justice agency for a criminal justice purpose. Id. § 411.089(b)(1). Other entities specified in chapter 411 of the Government Code are entitled to obtain CHRI from DPS or another criminal justice agency; however, those entities may not release CHRI except as provided by chapter 411. See generally id. §§ 411.090 - .127. Thus, any CHRI generated by the federal government or another state may not be made available to the requestor except in accordance with federal regulations. See Open Records Decision No. 565 (1990). Furthermore, any CHRI obtained from DPS or any other criminal justice agency must be withheld under section 552.101 of the Government Code in conjunction with Government Code chapter 411, subchapter F. The information submitted for our review contains CHRI generated by TCIC and NCIC. Accordingly, the information that we have marked is excepted from required public disclosure by section 552.101 of the Government Code in conjunction with section 411.083.
The submitted materials also include fingerprint information that is subject to sections 559.001, 559.002, and 559.003 of the Government Code. They provide as follows:
(1) "Biometric identifier" means a retina or iris scan, fingerprint, voiceprint, or record of hand or face geometry.
(2) "Governmental body" has the meaning assigned by Section 552.003 [of the Government Code], except that the term includes each entity within or created by the judicial branch of state government.
Sec. 559.002. DISCLOSURE OF BIOMETRIC IDENTIFIER. A governmental body that possesses a biometric identifier of an individual:
(B) the disclosure is required or permitted by a federal statute or by a state statute other than Chapter 552 [of the Government Code]; or
(C) the disclosure is made by or to a law enforcement agency for a law enforcement purpose; and
(2) shall store, transmit, and protect from disclosure the biometric identifier using reasonable care and in a manner that is the same as or more protective than the manner in which the governmental body stores, transmits, and protects its other confidential information.
It does not appear to this office that section 559.002 permits the disclosure of the submitted fingerprint information. Therefore, the department must withhold the fingerprints under section 552.101 in conjunction with section 559.003 of the Government Code.
Social security numbers may be withheld in some circumstances under section 552.101 of the Government Code. A social security number or "related record" may be excepted from disclosure under section 552.101 in conjunction with the 1990 amendments to the federal Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. § 405(c)(2)(C)(viii)(I). See Open Records Decision No. 622 (1994). These amendments make confidential social security numbers and related records that are obtained and maintained by a state agency or political subdivision of the state pursuant to any provision of law enacted on or after October 1, 1990. See id. We have no basis for concluding that any of the social security numbers in the file are confidential under section 405(c)(2)(C)(viii)(I), and therefore excepted from public disclosure under section 552.101 on the basis of that federal provision. We caution, however, that section 552.352 of the Public Information Act imposes criminal penalties for the release of confidential information. Prior to releasing any social security number information, you should ensure that no such information was obtained or is maintained by the department pursuant to any provision of law enacted on or after October 1, 1990.
Finally, we note that the submitted records contain motor vehicle information that is excepted from disclosure under section 552.130 of the Government Code. Section 552.130 provides in relevant part:
The department must withhold the Texas driver's license, vehicle identification, and license plate numbers under section 552.130. We have marked a representative sample of the types of information that must be withheld under section 552.130.
In summary, where the named individual is a possible suspect, arrestee, or defendant, we conclude that the department must withhold this information under common-law privacy as encompassed by section 552.101. The department must withhold CHRI under section 552.101 in conjunction with section 411.083. Fingerprints must be withheld from disclosure under section 552.101 in conjunction with section 559.003 of the Government Code. Social security numbers may be confidential under federal law. The department must withhold the Texas driver's license, vehicle identification, and license plate numbers under section 552.130. The remaining submitted information must be released to the requestor.
Ref:	ID# 174275
c:	Ms. Jessica Challis
1801 San Antonio
1. The Public Information Act does not require a governmental body to disclose information that did not exist at the time the request was received, nor does it require a governmental body to prepare new information in response to a request. Economic Opportunities Dev. Corp. v. Bustamante, 562 S.W.2d 266 (Tex. Civ. App.--San Antonio 1978, writ dism'd); Attorney General Opinion H-90 (1973); Open Records Decision Nos. 452 at 2-3 (1986), 342 at 3 (1982), 87 (1975); see also Open Records Decision Nos. 572 at 1 (1990), 555 at 1-2 (1990), 416 at 5 (1984).