R1C3

Public records are available for both inspection and copying under FOIA. Conn. Gen. Stat. §1-210(a). In Conn. Dep't of Pub. Safety v. FOIC, 1992 WL 31931 (Conn. Super. Feb. 5, 1992) aff'd, 29 Conn. App. 821, 618 A.2d 565 (1993), the Superior Court held that while a written request for copies is required under Conn. Gen. Stat. §1-212, no written request is necessary to inspect under Conn. Gen. Stat. §1-210(a), so copies must be provided if orally requested as part of the request to inspect under Conn. Gen. Stat. §1-210(a).

"The custodian of a public record shall, upon written request, furnish a requesting person a certified copy of a public record." Mich. Comp. Laws Ann. § 15.233(6). No section of the FOIA limits the availability of these records any further and a public body may not impose a more restrictive schedule for access to its public records for certain persons than it does for the public generally, based solely on the purpose for which the records are sought. 2001 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 7095 (2001).

The Act requires agencies to make public, legislative and financial records “accessible for inspection and duplication...” 65 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 66.2(a). This is consistent with prior case law. See City of Philadelphia v. Ruczynski, 24 Pa. D. & C.2d 478 (Phila. Cty. C.P. 1961) (interpreting old act).

Round-the-clock access is not required: “Public records, legislative records or financial records shall be available for access during the regular business hours of an agency.” Section 701(a).

Public records must be maintained in public offices so that they may be available for copying and inspection by Delaware citizens. Del. Op. Att'y Gen., No. 94-I030 (Oct. 19, 1994). See Del. Op. Att'y Gen., No. 00-ib02 (Jan. 10, 2000) (concluding that a public office cannot be liable for a citizen's failure or refusal to avail him or herself of the times and/or dates set aside for public viewing and copying of records).

All public data are to be kept "in such an arrangement and condition as to make them easily accessible for convenient use." § 13.03, subd. 1. In addition to inspection, the public "shall be permitted to inspect and copy public government data at reasonable times and places." § 13.03, subd. 3.

Presumably not.

The D.C. Act states that any person "has a right to inspect, and at his or her discretion, to copy any public record of a public body." D.C. Code Ann. § 2-532(a) (emphasis added). A public body may set "reasonable rules" for time and place of access to documents through notice and comment proceedings. Id.

The requester has a right not only to "inspect," but also to "copy or mechanically reproduce or obtain a reproduction of any public record of a public body." § 25-61-5(1).

Any person has a right to inspect or copy any public record not exempt from disclosure under the act. S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-30(a).

The statutory right of inspection of public records includes the right to make copies. Fla. Stat. § 119.07(1)(a)(1991).  See Wait v. Fla. Power & Light Co., 372 So. 2d 420, 425 (Fla. 1979); Winter v. Playa del Sol Inc., 353 So. 2d 598 (Fla. 4th DCA 1977); Fuller v. State ex. rel. O’Donnell, 17 So. 2d 607 (Fla. 1944). An exception to the right of duplication applies where an agency has a copyrighted work in its possession, in which case the public has access to such works but no right to have such works reproduced.  Yeste v. Miami Herald Publ’g Co., 451 So.