Arizona Appeals Court Holds Personal E-Mails Can Remain Private

· Story link

An appeals court in Arizona held that personal e-mails of public officials do not have to be disclosed under the state’s public records law, written in 1975. Going contrary to earlier Arizona court rulings, the panel said it considered an e-mail message as equivalent to a telephone call. “It defies logic to believe the Legislature intended to require every state officer or employee, for purposes of disclosure on a public records request, to record the content of all of his or her personal telephone calls.” (8/10/06)