Opinion ID: 2634802
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: CCJRA Disclosure Restrictions

Text: While we conclude that the recordings sought to be inspected in this case are criminal justice records because the Sheriff validly obtained them and their content was relevant to the criminal investigation the Sheriff conducted, this does not mean the Sheriff must allow their inspection. To the contrary, the CCJRA establishes procedures and criteria governing the inspection of criminal justice records. In enacting the CCJRA, the General Assembly was aware of the public responsibility the law places on criminal justice agencies to investigate, report on, and prosecute criminal acts. It was also aware that privacy interests and the need for investigative secrecy may dictate non-disclosure to the public of criminal justice records at a particular phase of the investigation or judicial proceeding, or at all. In enacting the CCJRA, the legislature created two categories of documents-records of official actions and criminal justice records-and established disparate disclosure standards for each. As with public records in CORA, the legislature mandated that records of official actions be disclosed if requested. § 24-72-303(1), C.R.S. (2005). The legislature did not, however, mandate disclosure of criminal justice records. Rather, it prohibited inspection of some criminal justice records while allowing the custodian, exercising sound discretion, to permit inspection of other criminal justice records. Id. §§ 24-72-304(1), -305(1), -305(1.5). Subsections 24-72-305(1)(a) and (b) prevent disclosure of the record if inspection is contrary to any state statute or is prohibited by rules of this court or by the order of any court. The rape shield statute is an example of a statute prohibiting disclosure during certain phases of the investigation and criminal justice proceedings, or at all. See People v. Bryant, 94 P.3d 624, 630-31 (Colo.2004). An order suppressing documentary evidence of criminal activity, prohibiting its use, and requiring its return to the person from whom it was seized, because of an unconstitutional search and seizure, is an example of a court order that would not permit inspection of the record. See People v. Mason, 989 P.2d 757, 759 (Colo.1999) (concerning reasonable expectation of privacy in personal banking records). In addition, the legislature has regulated the release of information related to sexual assault cases, § 24-72-304(4), C.R.S. (2005), criminal history records of volunteers and employees of charitable organizations, id. § 24-72-305.3, criminal history records of applicants in regulated professions or occupations, id. § 24-72-305.4, and the results of chemical biological substance testing to determine the genetic markers, id. § 24-72-305(1.5). Also, the General Assembly has provided a means in the CCJRA to seal records. Id. § 24-72-308. Subject to the exceptions provided by law, the General Assembly has consigned to the custodian of a criminal justice record the authority to exercise its sound discretion in allowing or not allowing inspection. Id. §§ 24-72-304(1), -305(1). In granting such discretion, the legislature intended the custodian to consider and balance the public and private interests relevant to the inspection request. The legislature's preference for such a balancing test appears in the statutory provisions relating to sealing a criminal justice record. Where a person in interest has not been convicted of the crime charged, he or she may request that the records of official action relating to the arrest be sealed. § 24-72-308(1), C.R.S. (2005). In such a case, the court hearing the petition must balance the harm to the privacy of the petitioner or dangers of unwarranted adverse consequences to the petitioner against the public interest in retaining the records. Id. § 24-72-308(1)(c). In People v. Bushu, 876 P.2d 106 (Colo.App.1994), the court of appeals reviewed the factors for a court to consider when determining whether to seal a record as set forth in the statutory provisions. These include the severity of the offense, the time lapsed since the conviction, the subsequent criminal history of the petitioner, and the need for the government agency to retain the records. Id. at 107-08. The court of appeals also looked to other factors courts have considered in balancing individual harm and the public interest. These factors include the strength of the government's case against the petitioner; the petitioner's age and employment history; the specific adverse consequences the petitioner may suffer if the records are not sealed, for example, the social stigma involved in an arrest record, the likelihood of increased police scrutiny in later investigations, the use of records by judges in making decisions regarding sentencing, granting bail, or release pending appeal, and the effect of an arrest record in seeking employment. Id. at 108. Although the legislature did not specifically establish a balancing test in the CCJRA discretionary provisions for considering release of a criminal justice record for public inspection or not, such a test inheres in the statutory grant of discretion itself and in the careful manner by which the General Assembly has structured the CCJRA's disclosure and non-disclosure provisions. If the content of a private record seized from an individual is not relevant to performance of the criminal justice agency's public function, it is not subject to inspection. [4] However, if the record is relevant to the agency's public function and the agency obtained the record in its public capacity, and no statute or court order prohibits inspection, the custodian may consider releasing the record in response to an inspection request. Concerns about allowing inspection of seized private records are properly addressed when the party resisting inspection and the party requesting inspection air their interests with the custodian. To accomplish this, and because seized records are private property even when they are properly used for public purposes, the custodian must notify the owner of the seized records of the inspection request before making the statutory determination assigned to it. In making this statutory determination, the custodian takes into account and balances the pertinent factors, which include the privacy interests of individuals who may be impacted by a decision to allow inspection; the agency's interest in keeping confidential information confidential; the agency's interest in pursuing ongoing investigations without compromising them; the public purpose to be served in allowing inspection; and any other pertinent consideration relevant to the circumstances of the particular request. A decision to allow or not allow inspection of the record is subject to judicial review under an abuse of discretion standard. See Bushu, 876 P.2d at 107. Because the Sheriff in its public capacity validly obtained and used the recordings in performance of its public function to investigate the commission of crimes at Columbine High School by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, we hold that they are criminal justice records subject to the CCJRA's inspection provisions.