Opinion ID: 2354141
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 15

Heading: Discovery in this case

Text: ¶ 94 In the present case, the Neighborhood Alliance of Spokane requested the complete electronic record of the employee seating charts showing names that did not correspond to then-employed individuals but did correspond to individuals who were subsequently hired. Because the origin of the seating chart that raised the issue of improper hiring was Ms. Knutson's computer, the County searched that computer but found no additional information. Although an apparently logical place to search was Ms. Knutson's old computer, the County did not search Ms. Knutson's old computer prior to its hard drive being destroyed. ¶ 95 The adequacy of the County's search is therefore an important issue in this case. However, rather than an inquiry into the adequacy of the agency's search under the procedure described by federal courts under FOIA, the PRA dispute in this case became a complicated and lengthy process involving discovery requests and refusals to provide information. While I share the majority's skepticism about the County's ability to make a prima facie case that it adequately searched, and have doubts that the requesters would be unable to rebut such a showing if made, these parties have not had the opportunity to address the issue under the federal approach that the court adopts. ¶ 96 Unlike the majority, I would not decide this essentially factual issue on appellate review, but instead would remand. We are an appellate court, not a trial court, and we have frequently concluded that remand is the appropriate course when the original proceedings involved the wrong legal standard. See, e.g., In re Custody of E.A.T.W., 168 Wash.2d 335, 227 P.3d 1284 (2010) (remand to the superior court for an adequate cause determination under the proper legal standard); Antonius v. King County, 153 Wash.2d 256, 103 P.3d 729 (2004) (remand for implementation of analysis regarding hostile work environment claim adopted pursuant to federal case law). The same should occur here, where neither the parties nor the trial court has had the benefit of our decision that federal case law on adequacy of a public records search establishes the standard in this state. ¶ 97 Before any further discovery issues are addressed, the trial court should provide the county the opportunity to present affidavits or declarations on the issue whether its search was adequate. Of course, the ball is in the county's court on this, so to speak, and it need not take the opportunity. I do not think placing the parties at the starting line will cause any serious difficulty, given the effort already expended in this litigation. And, insofar as the parties have acquired any information unknown at the time the Neighborhood Alliance sought the public records from the county, it would be nonsense to think the parties should ignore that information. But since we have adopted a specific, structured method for determining adequacy, familiar under FOIA but new in this state, the parties and the trial court should have the opportunity to use it. ¶ 98 As I have explained in more detail than the majority, this process can involve shifting burdensthe agency to make the prima facie case, a shift of burden to the requester to rebut the prima facie case if made, and other possible scenarios as well (for example, the agency's failure to make a prima facie case or the requester's ability to make out a case of bad faith). Of course, discovery may prove ultimately necessary in a PRA case involving adequacy of an agency's search, either because the agency is unable to secure summary judgment through affidavits on the issue of having conducted an adequate search or because penalties become an issue.