O'Neill v. City of Shoreline

187 P.3d 822, 145 Wash. App. 913
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedJuly 21, 2008
DocketNo. 59534-2-I
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 187 P.3d 822 (O'Neill v. City of Shoreline) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
O'Neill v. City of Shoreline, 187 P.3d 822, 145 Wash. App. 913 (Wash. Ct. App. 2008).

Opinion

Cox, J.

¶1 This is an action under the Public Records Act (PRA) of the state of Washington.1 At issue is whether metadata in the electronic version of an e-mail is subject to disclosure under the PRA.2

¶2 In November 2006, Beth and Doug O’Neill commenced this action, claiming that the city of Shoreline (City) and its deputy mayor violated the PRA in responding to Ms. O’Neill’s multiple requests for public records. They also contend that the trial court abused its discretion by dismissing the case after the show cause hearing, which was held solely on declarations and briefs. They further claim this procedure violated due process. Finally, they contend that the trial court erroneously awarded costs to the City and its deputy mayor, Maggie Fimia. For the reasons that follow, we affirm in part, vacate in part, and remand for further proceedings.

¶3 The material facts are not substantially in dispute. At a public meeting of the Shoreline City Council on September 18, 2006, Deputy Mayor Maggie Fimia stated that she had received an e-mail that related to a pending zoning [920]*920matter. According to her, the e-mail stated serious allegations of improper influence by members of the city council over that zoning matter. She said the message came to her from “a Ms. Hettrick and a Ms. O’Neill.”3

¶4 Ms. O’Neill was present at the public meeting and claims that Deputy Mayor Fimia’s remarks “came as a complete shock to [her].”4 She orally requested “to see that e-mail.”5 Deputy Mayor Fimia stated that she would be “happy to share” the e-mail with Ms. O’Neill.6

¶5 Central to the dispute on appeal are actions the deputy mayor took after Ms. O’Neill’s request. The deputy mayor deleted the top four lines of the header on the e-mail when she forwarded it from her personal computer to herself. Sometime thereafter, it appears she deleted the e-mail from her personal computer. Whether the editing of the e-mail and the failure to provide the entire e-mail with all metadata violates the PRA are at issue.

¶6 Further communication between Ms. O’Neill and the City (including Deputy Mayor Fimia) occurred the following day and thereafter. O’Neill made six more oral or written requests for records following the oral request at the public meeting on September 18. No one argues that any of the City’s responses were untimely. We discuss the details of the requests and the responses later in this opinion.

¶7 Dissatisfied with the City’s responses to the requests, the O’Neills commenced this action pursuant to the PRA, simultaneously moving for an order to appear and show cause directed to the City and Deputy Mayor Fimia. At the same time, they also moved for an order requiring the City and its agents, including the deputy mayor, to lodge public records for in camera review and to prepare a detailed record of documents withheld and exemptions claimed. All [921]*921parties submitted declarations and briefing on the requests for relief.

¶8 The trial court reviewed the briefing, the declarations, and one record submitted for in camera review as exempt from disclosure.7 In its order, the trial court made several findings, denied the O’Neills’ motions, dismissed the action, and awarded costs to the City and the deputy mayor.8 The trial court also denied the O’Neills’ motion for reconsideration.

¶9 They appeal.

PUBLIC RECORDS ACT

¶10 O’Neill argues that the City violated the PRA by, among other things, altering and destroying public records following her request.9

¶11 The PRA was enacted in 1972 by initiative as part of the public disclosure act, formerly chapter 42.17 RCW.10 The relevant portions were later recodified at chapter 42.56 RCW and renamed the Public Records Act.11 The PRA states:

Each agency, in accordance with published rules, shall make available for public inspection and copying all public records, unless the record falls within the specific exemptions of... this chapter, or other statute which exempts or prohibits disclosure of specific information or records.[12]

[922]*922The supreme court has recognized that the PRA “ ‘is a strongly worded mandate for broad disclosure of public records.’ ”13

¶12 Judicial review of challenged agency actions under the PRA is de novo, and a court may examine the records in camera to determine whether disclosure is proper.14 In light of the PRA’s purpose, we liberally construe its disclosure provisions and narrowly construe its exemptions.15 In interpreting the PRA, we “shall take into account” the following policy:

that free and open examination of public records is in the public interest, even though such examination may cause inconvenience or embarrassment to public officials or others.[16]

Public Records

¶13 A threshold issue under the PRA is whether the requested documents are public records.17 O’Neill argues that the e-mail to which Deputy Mayor Fimia referred at the September 18 public meeting of the Shoreline City Council and its associated metadata are public records. The City does not dispute that the e-mail is a public record but argues that the electronic version of the e-mail was properly deleted under its then-existing records retention policy. Deputy Mayor Fimia contends that the electronic version of the e-mail and its metadata are not public records.

¶14 The PRA specifies that a “public record” is

any writing containing information relating to the conduct of government or the performance of any governmental or propri[923]*923etary function prepared, owned, used, or retained by any state or local agency regardless of physical form or characteristics.[18]

A “writing” is defined as

handwriting, typewriting, printing, photostating, photographing, and every other means of recording any form of communication or representation, including, but not limited to, letters, words, pictures, sounds, or symbols, or combination thereof, and all papers, maps, magnetic or paper tapes, photographic films and prints, motion picture, film and video recordings, magnetic or punched cards, discs, drums, diskettes, sound recordings, and other documents including existing data compilations from which information may be obtained or translated.[19]

¶15 It is undisputed that the City is a “local agency” under the PRA.20 Moreover, there can be no serious dispute that the e-mail to which Deputy Mayor Fimia referred at the September 18 public meeting is a public record. It is (a) a “writing” that (b) “relat[es] to the conduct of government or the performance of [a] governmental . . . function” that the deputy mayor (c) “used” during the public meeting.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
187 P.3d 822, 145 Wash. App. 913, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/oneill-v-city-of-shoreline-washctapp-2008.