Opinion ID: 891702
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: IPRA Was Enacted to Ensure Public Access to Public Documents.

Text: {10} Under IPRA, [e]very person has a right to inspect the public records of New Mexico. Section 14-2-1(A). IPRA defines person broadly to include any individual, corporation, partnership, firm, association or entity. Section 14-2-6(C). In order to facilitate the public's right to inspect records, each public body of New Mexico must have a designated custodian to receive and respond to records requests and provide opportunities for inspection. Section 14-2-7; see § 14-2-6(D) (defining public body). Any person wishing to inspect public records may submit an oral or written request to the custodian. Section 14-2-8(A). Written requests must describe the records that are sought and must include the name, address, and telephone number of the person seeking access to the records, but [n]o person requesting records shall be required to state the reason for inspecting the records. Section 14-2-8(C). {11} The records custodian shall permit the inspection immediately or as soon as is practicable under the circumstances, but not later than fifteen days after receiving a written request. Section 14-2-8(D). If the records are not available within three business days, the custodian shall explain in writing when the records will be available for inspection or when the public body will respond to the request. Id. Within fifteen days of receiving a written request, the custodian must either permit inspection of the records, provide a written explanation of why any request has been denied, [1] or in the case of an excessively burdensome or broad request, inform the requester that additional time will be needed to respond. See §§ 14-2-10 to -11. If the custodian has not responded to a written request within fifteen days, the person requesting the public records may conclude that the request has been denied. Section 14-2-11(A). {12} IPRA includes remedies to encourage compliance and facilitate enforcement. The attorney general and district attorneys are empowered to enforce IPRA, Section 14-2-12(A)(1), and the statute also provides that a person whose written request has been denied may bring an enforcement suit, Section 14-2-12(A)(2). By giving enforcement power to any person whose written request has been denied, IPRA's provisions create `private attorneys general' for more effective and efficient enforcement of IPRA than would be possible if only the attorney general or district attorney could enforce the statute. Office of the New Mexico Attorney General, Inspection of Public Records Act Compliance Guide 41 (6th ed. 2009) (IPRA Compliance Guide). {13} A plaintiff who prevails in an IPRA enforcement suit can obtain attorneys' fees, costs, and damages. Section 14-2-12(D). If a records custodian fails to respond to a records request within fifteen days of receiving the request and a court concludes that the failure to respond was unreasonable, the court shall award the plaintiff damages not to exceed one hundred dollars a day. Section 14-2-11(C)(1)-(2). In such cases, damages accrue from the day the public body is in noncompliance until a written denial is issued and shall be payable from the funds of the public body. Section 14-2-11(C)(3)-(4). IPRA's damage provisions are intended to encourage public entities' prompt compliance with records requests. See Derringer v. State, 2003-NMCA-073, ¶¶ 11, 15, 133 N.M. 721, 68 P.3d 961 (determining that the legislature's focus was to provide prompt compliance and holding that IPRA does not provide for damages pursuant to an action brought after a public body has complied with the Act). {14} We must construe IPRA in light of its purpose. A statute should be interpreted to mean what the Legislature intended it to mean, and to accomplish the ends sought to be accomplished by it. Newsome, 90 N.M. at 794, 568 P.2d at 1240. The Legislature expressly stated IPRA's purpose and underlying public policy in Section 14-2-5: Recognizing that a representative government is dependent upon an informed electorate, the intent of the legislature in enacting [IPRA] is to ensure, and it is declared to be the public policy of this state, that all persons are entitled to the greatest possible information regarding the affairs of government and the official acts of public officers and employees. It is the further intent of the legislature, and it is declared to be the public policy of this state, that to provide persons with such information is an essential function of a representative government and an integral part of the routine duties of public officers and employees. {15} IPRA's stated policy reflects the fact that people in our democratic society have a fundamental right to inspect public records. Newsome, 90 N.M. at 797, 568 P.2d at 1243. Open records laws such as IPRA are based on the premise that public access to public records will result in better government. See IPRA Compliance Guide, supra, at 26. IPRA creates a presumption in favor of access: The citizen's right to know is the rule and secrecy is the exception. Where there is no contrary statute or countervailing public policy, the right to inspect public records must be freely allowed. Newsome, 90 N.M. at 797, 568 P.2d at 1243. {16} IPRA is intended to ensure that the public servants of New Mexico remain accountable to the people they serve. Writings coming into the hands of public officers in connection with their official functions should generally be accessible to members of the public . . . to determine whether those who have been entrusted with the affairs of government are honestly, faithfully and competently performing their function. Id. at 795, 568 P.2d at 1241 (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). In order for government to truly be of the people and by the people, and not just for the people, our citizens must be able to know what their own public servants are doing in their name.