Opinion ID: 2197386
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: public records and privileges under disciplinary proceedings statutes

Text: Sections 38-186 to 38-1,113 set out the permitted procedures for resolving allegations in a complaint to the Department or a petition for discipline against a credential holder. The Attorney General receives a copy of all the Department's complaints. Afterward, the Attorney General's office can choose between three options: (1) It can file a petition for discipline; (2) it can negotiate a voluntary settlement; or (3) it can refer insubstantial violations to the Department for a professional board's recommendation that the Attorney General enter into a nondisciplinary assurance of compliance agreement with the credential holder. [12] But even if the Attorney General does not elect to file a petition, the Department can independently request that the Attorney General commence such a proceeding after board review. [13] If the Attorney General files a petition for discipline with the Department, the allegations in the petition are not privileged. [14] Additionally, any settlement that the Department accepts after the Attorney General has filed a petition for discipline is public. [15] Finally, the Department's underlying complaints and investigatory records are public if there is a contested hearing before the Department and the materials are made part of the record. [16] But, if the materials are not included in a contested hearing, the Department's incident reports, underlying complaints, and investigatory records are statutorily privileged from discovery. Section 38-1,106(1), in relevant part, provides: Reports under sections 38-1,129 to 38-1,136, complaints, and investigational records of the department shall not be public records, shall not be subject to subpoena or discovery, and shall be inadmissible in evidence in any legal proceeding of any kind or character except a contested case before the department. Such reports, complaints, or records shall be a public record if made part of the record of a contested case before the department. [17]