Opinion ID: 895200
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The City's Position Would Delete the Compelling Reason Standard From the Statute in These Situations.

Text: The City argues that attorney-client privilege is always a compelling reason to prevent disclosure. In re City of Georgetown, 53 S.W.3d 328, 332-33 (Tex.2001) (quoting Leggat, 904 S.W.2d at 647). That holding essentially means that a governmental entity could either intentionally or unintentionally make a late request to the Attorney General seeking an exception from disclosure and still not have any higher burden to except information from disclosure. I disagree that the importance of the privilege means that a statute or rule cannot provide for waiver of the privilege or elevate the standard to rely on it. See, e.g., TEX.R. CIV. P. 193.3(d) (stating that a party who inadvertently discloses information waives the attorney-client privilege if it does not assert the privilege within ten days of disclosure); TEX.R.APP. P. 33.1(a); see also In re Christus Spohn Hosp. Kleberg, 222 S.W.3d 434, 439-41 (Tex.2007); In re Living Ctrs. of Tex., Inc., 175 S.W.3d 253, 259-60 (Tex.2005). The City waived the straightforward application of the attorney-client privilege by not requesting a decision within ten business days and should not be able to overcome that waiver by reasserting the same privilege. [7] It is important to remember that the City retains control over the nondisclosure of otherwise privileged information if it simply abides by the PIA's deadlines. This in no way diminishes the importance of the attorney-client privilege; instead, I believe that the City must follow the procedures specifically mandated by the PIA in order to assert it without having to establish a compelling reason. The procedure in section 552.301 is not a trap for the unwary that could catch a conscientious governmental official off guard. [8] An action as simple as placing a letter to the Attorney General with a short request for a decision in the United States mail, first class, within ten business days after receiving the public information request, satisfies the statute. See TEX. GOVT.CODE § 552.308. The likely reason the entity would not comply with this requirement is simply because it does not have a system in place to handle these requests quickly and efficiently, which is the harm the Legislature attempted to remedy in the statute by training all public officials in the requirements of the PIA and explicitly requiring prompt responses to the people for public information. V. Conclusion The Legislature requires disclosure of public information and prompt resolution of exemptions from disclosure. Because the City failed to comply with the requirements to withhold public information from disclosure, I respectfully dissent and would hold that the PIA requires the City to disclose the public information.