Opinion ID: 867507
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Public records background

Text: ¶ 8 Rule 123, the court's open records provision, recognizes the public's significant interest in access to information regarding the courts and honors the presumption that court records be open and available to the public. Its basic disclosure provision is as follows: Historically, this state has always favored open government and an informed citizenry. In the tradition, the records in all courts and administrative offices of the Judicial Department of the State of Arizona are presumed to be open to any member of the public for inspection or to obtain copies at all times during regular office hours at the office having custody of the records. Ariz. R. Sup.Ct. 123(c)(1) (emphasis added). As the public records law does for public offices, the court's open records rule implements the public's interest in seeing that the courts perform efficiently and effectively by providing access to court records. Compare A.R.S. § 39-121 (Public records and other matters in the custody of any officer shall be open to inspection by any person at all times during office hours.), with Ariz. R. Sup.Ct. 123. Public access to court records helps further the democratic value of having knowledgeable and informed citizens and is thus instrumental to a state founded on principles of self-governance. ¶ 9 But sometimes the benefits of public disclosure must yield to the burden imposed on private individuals or the government itself by disclosure. Such circumstances have spawned common-law limitations on public disclosure to protect privacy interests, confidential information, and certain governmental interests. See, e.g., Carlson v. Pima County, 141 Ariz. 487, 491, 687 P.2d 1242, 1246 (1984) (noting that an unlimited right of inspection might lead to substantial and irreparable private or public harm, which must be weighed against the general policy of open access to determine whether disclosure is proper); Mathews v. Pyle, 75 Ariz. 76, 80-81, 251 P.2d 893, 896 (1952) (holding that if disclosure would be detrimental to the best interests of the state, records may be kept from the public). These common-law limitations attempt to accommodate the tension between the public right to open government and the need to protect confidential information, personal privacy of those who interact with government offices, and overriding interests of the government. See Carlson, 141 Ariz. at 490, 687 P.2d at 1245. These common-law exceptions to disclosure circumscribe unfettered access and allow the government to withhold documents from the public if the custodian of the records articulates sufficiently weighty reasons to tip the balance away from the presumption of disclosure and toward non-disclosure. ¶ 10 Section (c)(1) of Rule 123 incorporates into the court's open records rule provisions analogous to the common-law exceptions to the public records law. Section (c)(1) provides that in view of the possible countervailing interests of confidentiality, privacy or the best interests of the state[,] public access to some court records may be restricted or expanded.... Ariz. R. Sup.Ct. 123(c)(1). Rule 123 also exempts from presumptive disclosure several other categories of records: certain employee records, employment or volunteer applications, judicial case assignments, security records, procurement records, pre-decisional documents, library records, attorney and judicial work product, juror records, proprietary and licensed material, and copyrighted documents and materials. See id. § (e)(1)-(11). Rule 123 also provides several exceptions, based on practical considerations, that allow the courts to shield documents if disclosure would impose an undue financial burden, or the request is duplicative or harassing[,] or substantially interfere[s] with court functions or operations. Id. § (f)(4)(A)(i)-(iv). Rule 123's explicit exceptions to disclosure and the common-law exceptions included in section (c)(1) allow the courts to perform their duties efficiently, without imposing an unjustified burden on requesting individuals or the courts. [2]