December 9, 2011

Ms. Susan Fillion

Assistant County Attorney

Harris County Attorney's Office

1019 Congress, 15^th Floor

Houston, Texas 77002

OR2011-18129

Dear Ms. Fillion:

You ask whether certain information is subject to required public disclosure under the Public Information Act (the "Act"), chapter 552 of the Government Code. Your request was assigned ID# 438568 (C.A. File No. 11PIA0403).

The Harris County Constable Precinct 5 (the "constable") received a request for a video and a call slip pertaining to a specified case number. ⁽¹⁾ You claim the requested information is excepted from disclosure under sections 552.101, 552.108, and 552.130 of the Government Code. We have considered the exceptions you claim.

We must address the constable's obligations under the Act. Pursuant to section 552.301(e) of the Government Code, a governmental body is required to submit to this office within fifteen business days of receiving the request (1) general written comments stating the reasons why the stated exceptions apply that would allow the information to be withheld, (2) a copy of the written request for information, (3) a signed statement or sufficient evidence showing the date the governmental body received the written request, and (4) a copy of the specific information requested or representative samples, labeled to indicate which exceptions apply to which parts of the documents. See Gov't Code § 552.301(e). As of the date of this letter, you have not submitted to this office general written comments stating the reasons why the stated exceptions apply, a copy of the written request for information, or a copy or representative sample of the information requested. Consequently, we find the constable failed to comply with the requirements of section 552.301.

Pursuant to section 552.302 of the Government Code, a governmental body's failure to comply with the procedural requirements of section 552.301 results in the legal presumption that the information is public and must be released, unless a governmental body demonstrates a compelling reason to withhold the information to overcome this presumption. See id. § 552.302; Simmons v. Kuzmich, 166 S.W.3d 342, 350 (Tex. App.--Fort Worth 2005, no pet.); Hancock v. State Bd. of Ins., 797 S.W.2d 379, 381 (Tex. App.--Austin 1990, no writ) (governmental body must make compelling demonstration to overcome presumption of openness pursuant to statutory predecessor to section 552.302); Open Records Decision No. 630 (1994). A compelling reason exists when third-party interests are at stake or when information is confidential under other law. Open Records Decision No. 150 (1977). In failing to comply with section 552.301, the constable has waived section 552.108, which is a discretionary exception to disclosure. See Open Records Decision Nos. 665 at 2 n.5 (2000) (discretionary exceptions generally), 177 (1977) (governmental body may waive statutory predecessor to section 552.108). Although sections 552.101 and 552.130 of the Government Code can provide compelling reasons to withhold information, because the constable has not submitted any information for our review, we have no basis to conclude the information is confidential under either of these exceptions. Thus, we have no choice but to order the constable to release the requested information in accordance with section 552.302 of the Government Code. If you believe the information is confidential and may not lawfully be released, you must challenge this ruling in court pursuant to section 552.324 of the Government Code.

This letter ruling is limited to the particular information at issue in this request and limited to the facts as presented to us; therefore, this ruling must not be relied upon as a previous determination regarding any other information or any other circumstances.

This ruling triggers important deadlines regarding the rights and responsibilities of the governmental body and of the requestor. For more information concerning those rights and responsibilities, please visit our website at http://www.oag.state.tx.us/open/index_orl.php, or call the Office of the Attorney General's Open Government Hotline, toll free, at (877) 673-6839. Questions concerning the allowable charges for providing public information under the Act must be directed to the Cost Rules Administrator of the Office of the Attorney General, toll free at (888) 672-6787.

Sincerely,

Sean Nottingham

Assistant Attorney General

Open Records Division

SN/agn

Ref: ID# 438568

Enc. Submitted documents

c: Requestor

(w/o enclosures)

Footnotes

1. As you have not submitted a copy of the request for information, we take our description from your brief.

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