Texas Open Records Request

Texas Public Information Act Request

TO:                        _____________________________________________________________________

                                _____________________________________________________________________

                                _____________________________________________________________________

FROM:                  _____________________________________________________________________

                                _____________________________________________________________________

                                _____________________________________________________________________

RE:                         Formal request for the production of documents.

AUTHORITY:    Texas Public Information Act Request pursuant to Texas Government Code § 552

Dear Sir:

                Under the Chapter 552, Public Information of the Texas Government Code as stated:

Sec. 552.001.  Policy; Construction.

                             (a) Under the fundamental philosophy of the American constitutional form of representative government that adheres to the principle that government is the servant and not the master of the people, it is the policy of this state that each person is entitled, unless otherwise expressly provided by law, at all times to complete information about the affairs of government and the official acts of public officials and employees.  The people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to know.  The people insist on remaining informed so that they may retain control over the instruments they have created.  The provisions of this chapter shall be liberally construed to implement this policy.

                             (b) This chapter shall be liberally construed in favor of granting a request for information. Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 268, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.

In response to _________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Further:

This is to assure you, that I will comply with Section 552.122; as you are to comply with Section 552.261 and, for documents in excess of 50 pages, Section 552.271. These documents should be delivered to the stated above (FROM) address.

I request no "speculative or hypothetical legal opinion". I request no "creation of documents", "legal research", opinion or advice. I request the documents showing the authority of all actions stated herein. If  no documents are responsive to any document request, please indicate so in your written response.

                DOCUMENTS BEING REQUESTED:

COPIES OF ALL DOCUMENTS that are in your possession, under your control, or within your system of records, such documents which would indicate or specify:

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Texas Public Information Act

Remedy for Failure to Comply

Sec. 552.353.  Failure or Refusal of Officer for Public Information to Provide Access to or Copying of Public Information.

(a) An officer for public information, or the officer's agent, commits an offense if, with criminal negligence, the officer or the officer's agent fails or refuses to give access to, or to permit or provide copying of, public information to a requestor as provided by this chapter.

(b) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under Subsection (a) that the officer for public information reasonably believed that public access to the requested information was not required

and that the officer:

                      (1) acted in reasonable reliance on a court order or a written interpretation of this chapter contained in an opinion of a court of record or of the attorney general issued under Subchapter G;

                      (2) requested a decision from the attorney general in accordance with Subchapter G, and the decision is pending; or

                      (3) not later than the 10th calendar day after the date of receipt of a decision by the attorney general that the information is public, filed a petition for a declaratory judgment, a writ of mandamus, or both, against the attorney general in a Travis County district court seeking relief from compliance with the decision of the attorney general, and a petition is pending.

(c) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under Subsection (a) that a person or entity has, not later than the 10th calendar day after the date of receipt by a governmental body of a decision

by the attorney general that the information is public, filed a cause of action seeking relief from compliance with the decision of the attorney general, and the cause is pending.

(d) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under Subsection (a) that the defendant is the agent of an officer for public information and that the agent reasonably relied on the written instruction of the officer for public information not to disclose the public information requested.

(e) An offense under this section is a misdemeanor punishable by:

                      (1) a fine of not more than $1,000;

                      (2) confinement in the county jail for not more than six months; or

                      (3) both the fine and confinement.

(f) A violation under this section constitutes official misconduct.

Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 268, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.

Amended by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 1035, Sec. 25, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.

If you cannot produce this public information for inspection or duplication within 10 calendar days after the date of receiving this request, you shall so certify to me in writing and set a date and hour within a reasonable time when the information will be available for inspection, duplication, or be mailed to me per § 552.221 and § 552.308.

You shall treat this request for information uniformly without regard to the position of the person who signs this request per § 552.223.

                                                                                Sincerely,

                                                                                ______________________________________________

                                                                                               

cc:           Attorney General John Cornyn

                P.O. Box 12548

                Austin, Texas  78711

CERTIFIED MAIL # ______________________________

DATE SENT ______________________