2. Police blotter.

Police blotters, jail registers and incident reports are generally available prior to case closure. However, the Public Records Act seals law enforcement records if nondisclosure “is essential to effective law enforcement or for the protection of any person's right to privacy.” RCW 42.56.240(1). The Washington Criminal Records Privacy Act ("CRPA") prevents disclosure of certain criminal records, but does not apply to "[o]riginal records of entry maintained by criminal justice agencies" if the records are "compiled and maintained chronologically and are accessible only on a chronological basis." RCW 10.97.030(1)(b). Thus, most information in chronological incident reports and blotters is public under both the CRPA and the Public Records Act, but the requester would have to know the date of the incident to locate the document.

The CRPA provides that records of convictions, other formal dispositions adverse to the subject and records of those currently in the criminal justice system (including those on parole) "may be disseminated without restriction." Records on charges that have not resulted in conviction or other adverse disposition and for which formal proceedings are complete are closed to the public. RCW 10.97.050.