Opinion ID: 2354141
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: An adequate search under the PRA

Text: ¶ 23 The PRA is silent about what constitutes an adequate search, and this court has not had reason to address it. The Court of Appeals relied on judicial interpretations of FOIA to answer this question. NASC, 153 Wash.App. at 256, 224 P.3d 775 (citing Hearst Corp. v. Hoppe, 90 Wash.2d 123, 128, 580 P.2d 246 (1978) (The state act closely parallels the federal Freedom of Information Act ... and thus judicial interpretations of that act are particularly helpful in construing our own.)). Both acts promote open government and FOIA is construed broadly, with its exceptions narrowly tailored, similar to the PRA. Hearst Corp., 90 Wash.2d at 129, 580 P.2d 246. Both make virtually every document generated by an agency available to the public unless an exemption applies. Hearst Corp., 90 Wash.2d at 128, 580 P.2d 246 (quoting N.L.R.B. v. Sears, Roebuck & Co., 421 U.S. 132, 95 S.Ct. 1504, 1509-10, 44 L.Ed.2d 29 (1975)). It follows that standards governing the adequacy of a search will also mirror each other. We agree with the Court of Appeals' approach and hold that the adequacy of a search for records under the PRA is the same as exists under FOIA. ¶ 24 Under this approach, the focus of the inquiry is not whether responsive documents do in fact exist, but whether the search itself was adequate. Citizens Comm'n on Human Rights v. Food & Drug Admin., 45 F.3d 1325, 1328 (9th Cir.1995); Weisberg v. U.S. Dep't of Justice, 240 U.S.App. D.C. 339, 745 F.2d 1476, 1485 (1984) (quoting Weisberg v. U.S. Dep't of Justice, 227 U.S. App. D.C. 253, 705 F.2d 1344, 1350-51 (1983)). The adequacy of a search is judged by a standard of reasonableness, that is, the search must be reasonably calculated to uncover all relevant documents. Weisberg, 705 F.2d at 1351. What will be considered reasonable will depend on the facts of each case. Weisberg, 705 F.2d at 1351. When examining the circumstances of a case, then, the issue of whether the search was reasonably calculated and therefore adequate is separate from whether additional responsive documents exist but are not found. Truitt v. Dep't of State, 283 U.S.App. D.C. 86, 897 F.2d 540, 542 (1990); Meeropol v. Meese, 252 U.S.App. D.C. 381, 395, 790 F.2d 942, 956 (1986) (a search need not be perfect, only adequate). ¶ 25 Additionally, agencies are required to make more than a perfunctory search and to follow obvious leads as they are uncovered. Valencia-Lucena v. U.S. Coast Guard, 336 U.S.App. D.C. 386, 180 F.3d 321, 326 (1999). The search should not be limited to one or more places if there are additional sources for the information requested. Valencia-Lucena, 180 F.3d at 326. Indeed, the agency cannot limit its search to only one record system if there are others that are likely to turn up the information requested. Oglesby v. U.S. Dep't of Army, 287 U.S.App. D.C. 126, 920 F.2d 57, 68 (1990). This is not to say, of course, that an agency must search every possible place a record may conceivably be stored, but only those places where it is reasonably likely to be found. ¶ 26 As the concurrence discusses, many FOIA cases are resolved on motions for summary judgment concerned with the adequacy of the search. [9] In such situations, the agency bears the burden, beyond material doubt, of showing its search was adequate. Valencia-Lucena, 180 F.3d at 325. To do so, the agency may rely on reasonably detailed, nonconclusory affidavits submitted in good faith. These should include the search terms and the type of search performed, and they should establish that all places likely to contain responsive materials were searched. An agency may wish to include such information in its initial response to the requester, since doing so may avoid litigation. ¶ 27 Moreover, records are never exempt from disclosure, only production, so an adequate search is required in order to properly disclose responsive documents. See Sanders, 169 Wash.2d at 836, 240 P.3d 120. The failure to perform an adequate search precludes an adequate response and production. The PRA treats a failure to properly respond as a denial. Soter v. Cowles Publ'g Co., 162 Wash.2d 716, 750, 174 P.3d 60 (2007) (citing RCW 42.56.550(2), (4) (formerly RCW 42.17.340)). Thus, an inadequate search is comparable to a denial because the result is the same, and should be treated similarly in penalty determinations, at least insofar as the requester may be entitled to costs and reasonable attorney fees under RCW 42.56.550(4). ¶ 28 Applying this standard, the County's search for both items was inadequate, though here we are only concerned with the first search. [10] For Item # 1, the County's search consisted of the only place a complete electronic record could not be found: Knutsen's new computer, and Knutsen herself noticed the discrepancy of the date created field being later in time than the date modified field. CP at 61. Additionally, Knutsen knew her computer had been replaced only a few weeks before the request was made, and had some idea that searching only the new computer would prove unfruitful. But she did not search further, despite the indication that her response would be incomplete, since the request asked for the complete electronic record. This illustrates why an agency cannot limit its search to only one record system if there are others that are likely to turn up the information requested. Oglesby, 920 F.2d at 68; see also Valencia-Lucena, 180 F.3d at 325 (agency must follow through on obvious leads). ¶ 29 Rather than following up, the agency's reply was that there were no other documents that would be responsive to this request. But this is conclusory because it does not explain why this is; nor does she aver that all places likely to contain responsive documents (such as her old computer, a network drive, [11] or the printer record) were searched or were unavailable to be searched. An adequate response to the initial PRA request where records are not disclosed should explain, at least in general terms, the places searched. In a typical case, this rule presents few problems for the agency as the records responsive to the PRA requests will be readily available. Where, as occurred here, the computer containing the record has been destroyed, the agency must look to other locations. [12] This also translates into a further requirement to explain the adequacy of the search in the response to the request. ¶ 30 The County argues it should not be required to search Knutsen's old computer for requested documents, comparing the old computer to a trash can or recycle bin. But the analogy fails, because the County maintained control over the computer following its transfer to its Information Services Department, unlike trash or recycling that is hauled away. [13] If the agency, after establishing the primary source of requested information, finds that the information is not there, it may not assert the information has been moved so as to avoid its duty to search. The agency must determine where the information has been moved and conduct a search there, where reasonable. Because the County produced nothing to show the old computer was wiped of all data before August 8, 2005, it should reasonably have searched that computer when the Alliance's PRA request was received in May. The Court of Appeals ruled that the County wrongfully withheld documents in violation of the PRA as a result of this inadequate search. We agree and affirm the Court of Appeals reversal of summary judgment in favor of the Alliance as to Item #1. ¶ 31 The County argues, as does amicus, that finding liability for an inadequate search creates a new cause of action under the PRA. Amicus insists that the failure to adequately search for a record is especially egregious because the requester may not know responsive documents exist, and therefore would have no basis to challenge an otherwise seemingly adequate response. Amicus relies on PAWS, where we said, The Public Records Act clearly and emphatically prohibits silent withholding by agencies of records relevant to a public records request. PAWS, 125 Wash.2d at 270, 884 P.2d 592. But we did not explicitly allow the potential silent withholding in PAWS to support a freestanding daily-penalty award, as is now requested. ¶ 32 Amicus additionally relies on Sanders to argue an inadequate search should be considered an independent cause of action. Sanders, 169 Wash.2d at 859-61, 240 P.3d 120. In Sanders, the responding agency listed exemptions to production in its response, but did not explain how the exemptions applied to the documents. We did not allow a freestanding penalty based on the failure to fully explain exemptions, as this went to the adequacy of the response and not the denial of the right to inspect or copy records. In Sanders, some documents were wrongfully withheld, necessitating a daily penalty, so the failure to explain exemptions was considered an aggravating factor in setting the penalty determination. We saved for another day the question of whether the PRA impliedly authorizes a penalty if the requester would otherwise have no remedy. Because the Alliance is similarly already entitled to a remedy, as will be discussed in the next section, we now hold that the failure to perform an adequate search is at least an aggravating factor, to be considered in setting the daily-penalty amount. ¶ 33 An adequate search is a prerequisite to an adequate response, so an inadequate search is a violation of the PRA because it precludes an adequate response. But we again put off for another day the question whether the PRA supports a freestanding daily penalty when an agency conducts an inadequate search but no responsive documents are subsequently produced. A prevailing party in such an instance is at least entitled to costs and reasonable attorney fees. Soter, 162 Wash.2d at 756, 174 P.3d 60; RCW 42.56.550(4). [14] ¶ 34 Finally, the County also argues that the Court of Appeals' imposition of daily penalties punishes an agency for asserting its appeal rights. The County is concerned about a daily-penalty award stretching to the final judgment date of this court. This argument ignores the statute, which makes daily penalties applicable only for the time the requester was denied the right to inspect or copy said public record. RCW 42.56.550(4). Penalties will not continue to accrue after a document is produced, and daily penalties will not accrue at all if the agency carries its burden of showing an adequate search. Further, the amount of the daily-penalty award is within the trial court's discretion and it may consider several factors when making this determination. Yousoufian, 168 Wash.2d at 466-68, 229 P.3d 735.