Kentucky New Era, Inc. v. City of Hopkinsville
2013 Ky. LEXIS 644
| Ky. | 2013Background
- New Era requested Hopkinsville PD records from Jan 1 to Aug 31, 2009 relating to stalking/harassment/terroristic threats.
- City Clerk released redacted records, withholding juveniles and open cases and redacting personal data (SSN, DL, phones, addresses).
- Circuit court reviewed in camera and upheld redactions of social security numbers, driver’s licenses, home addresses, and phone numbers.
- Court of Appeals affirmed, allowing redaction of juveniles’ names and identifying information; declined to address KRS 610.320 as a blanket rule.
- New Era sought AG review; AG agreed against blanket disclosures and favored narrow privacy redactions; City sued under KRS 61.882.
- This Court affirms the Court of Appeals, upholding the privacy exemption and the City’s categorical redaction policy.
Issues
| Issue | Plaintiff's Argument | Defendant's Argument | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Does the privacy exemption allow withholding private identifiers? | New Era: exemptions must be narrowly applied, not blanket. | Hopkinsville: privacy interests justify redacting private identifiers. | Yes; privacy exemption supports redactions. |
| Is the City’s categorical redaction policy compliant with the Act’s strict construction? | New Era: blanket redactions violate case-by-case requirement. | Hopkinsville: categorically redacting routine private data is permissible. | Yes; categorical redaction approved as reasonable. |
Key Cases Cited
- United States Department of State v. The Washington Post Company, 456 U.S. 595 (U.S. 1982) (privacy interest in government records; Exemption 6 framework)
- Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press v. Federal Aviation Administration, 489 U.S. 749 (U.S. 1989) (categorical vs. ad hoc exemptions; privacy standard)
- Favish, 541 U.S. 157 (U.S. 2004) (privacy interests in law enforcement records; qualitative impact on public interest)
- Cape Publications v. City of Louisville, 147 S.W.3d 731 (Ky.App. 2003) (victims’ privacy in sexual-offense reports; redaction upheld)
- Bd. of Examiners in Psychology v. Courier-Journal & Louisville Times Co., 826 S.W.2d 324 (Ky. 1992) (privacy vs. disclosure; open records balancing)
- Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press v. Department of Justice, 489 F.3d 1 (D.C. Cir. 2011) (FOIA privacy exemptions; categorical balancing principles endorsed)
- Robbins Tire & Rubber Co. v. NLRB, 437 U.S. 214 (U.S. 1978) (categorical redaction approach in FOIA context)