Case Information

*1 14.81 OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN Honorabla Eontar Carrieon, Jr., Dire&or

Mpartmant or Pub110 Saratf

Camp Mabry

Austin, Tuaa

Dear Slrl

0r Haroh 4, 194

to tho raot the

rreritos and ana 0rri0Or6 an&

6 a8 pro+fdod 1~ Statutea, fou Wk r oonddrration. ut ror aonvrnionir ,a Department ot PUblIe allow ropreesntatlrsa ereste pparronal aoaoss to “2. May th,a Do,partmant :of Pub110 safety refiwe to rurnish~osrtitiid 6opiet1 or aooidant reports to rlvate indirlUaal8 or ri3-m rspueatiry eua ii aartiflab aopiaa? *2 1.82 Honorable Homer Garrison, Jr., page 2

"3. Mar the Departmmt of Public sarety reruse iurormation siren on any individual accident report to private pert30na or rim r8queating eu0h inrom- tlon?

"4. Are osrtffied copies or accident reports subject to subpoena by justice courts end oourta of higher denominatlon?~ MAY TBE DEPARTMEBT OF PUBLIC SAFETY REFUSE TO ALLOW REPRESEWTATI’VES OF PRIYATE INTERESTS PERSONAL ACCESS TO ACCIDENT REPORT FILES?

Although 8om4 courts have held that In this country every person is entitled to the right of free a00488 to, and pub110 lnapeotion of, pub110 reoords, without any ahoring or epsolal lntereste, Burton va.

Tuite (Xich. 1899) U R. W. 282, 7 L. R. A. 73, other hare adopted the rule that a person seek- jurisdlotlons ing aocess to au& reoords muet have an Interest In the reoord or paper or whfoh inapeotion ie sought, and that the lxwpeotion muat be ror a legitimate purpose. ~xoise ~l~salon or Cltronnella YE. State (Ala. 1912) 60 so.

In the case or Palaoioa, et al., ~‘8. Corbett, et al.‘(Cir. App. Teal. 1915) 172 S. ,w. 777, writ or error refused by the Supreme Court ~oi Texas, the aourt rollowed the latter nentloned ml4 and atfirmed the de- cision of the lower oourt whloh granted a writ of man- danu8 oommandlng several oonnty ofilcem to permit the plalntlrrs or their auditora to lnspeot and audit all oountf records under their oontrol, and to obtain such extraots, copiee and data therefrom as thef might de- sire. The ootirt, In holding that the right of inepeo- tion wea a quallrled right, in part statsd:

“There being no dealslone of our own oourte upon thla matter, 80 rar as we hare bean able to aeaertaln, ‘we have had re- course to the deolslona or ,the oourta or other oomtaon-law etatea,:,‘and oonolude that the opinion or thr Supraae Court or Tehneaaee, in the ease of Stats ex rel. Welford v. Williama, 110 Ten% 549, 75 S. W. 948, 6l, .L. R. A. 435, constitu tea the best stateaent of the rules oi law which should b& applied to this oharaoter of oaae. We quote from said opinion a6 rolionrs:

183 Eouorablr Eoaer Garrison, Jr;, paga 3

**In theory the right or exmiua- tion is absolute, but in praotloe it ia at last only a matter of disaietion, be- aaum suoh application ie likely at any tin8 to be refused on the pet of the ouetodlan of the books and papers Bought to be am&mined, au6 than th4 right muat be forced by maudamu&i, and this writ la not Of abaoluto right, but merelY or dfs- oretion, to be awarded only in a proper oaae; the iaots olained as authorizlug Its lasuanoa to br judgrd or in 4rarY oaae bY the oourt, and th4 nit to ba awarded withheld upon a oonaidaratlon or all the ,o%rauW&anOea prrsented. So, while the Clght Is, in theorf, absolute, Yet it is in praotioe 80 limited by the remedy neossaazy ror.it.ts rnroraem4ut aa..that it ban be dsuo+inated only a ~quallrled right..**

In the light of this cam, ,if the aaaidrnt reports in quratlon aia snot r~eoret ‘and oourld~tial, but on the othir hand are of a public nature, It wOuld 84a.u that prirato peraoru (OX their dulf appolnt4d rapresentatlrrr) would have~a right to lu8peot auah of the report6 as they might ehow an intare#t lun;

In the oaae of Paople ax rel.~St&netron t.

Earnrtt, State Oomml88ioner 0r the Bureau or ,*tor

Behlolss (Sup.;Gt. 'of p4w York,,l927) 226 f. Y. f&p.

338; affirmad by the Appellate Dltlslon, 1928, 230 Ii. Y. E&p. ~28; affQuu46 by the Court of A peals or pew York (Meaorandum D4alsion). 164 N. E. Boa tha raota show that perpone involved in antomobLie

aooldant~ in the Btate~ of Xew York were requlr& by etatote to aend aoaltdgnt &&mXta to .the Coaaiasioner,-’ or Motor Vehiolss, and these raportr war4 made ,apon form prepared by the.CommissioaOr. Xdward 6. gtenstrom was killed in an, ~+utcimobile aeafdant, and his wire, a8 adslnlstratrlx, haa ooamenoed an aotion to rasorar daaages ror the death ,or her, intestate. She .requeatrd copies of the acclbent reports; ,~but~ tka Corairmioner re- rues6 to furnish tham on the ‘groU848 that they wera treated as conrldentlal, '~4~4 filed solely ,ior tho .QB~ of the Comaisaioner in preparing statistic8 and &mar- talning the oauae of aoaldeata,‘~and for providing ip-

Honorable Homer Ckrrlaon, Jr., pagr 4

formation to enable the Motor Pehlcl4 Department to oontrol the aooldent problem. Xra. StsnatrOm tiled this mendamua proaeadlng, direotlng the Uoarolaaloner to furnlah her with oopl4a of the reports. Tbr Supreme Court laauod the men- damus dlreating the Commlaaloner to permit the relator, or her ~attorney, to lnapeot a&l the reports In hla paea4aalon regarding taia aortain a8tOPaabih aco1dent, and the daalalon waa arrlnaed ln'both the &p&late Mvlalon and thr Court 0r Appeala~or mw York.

The court held~that three mporte were auah publlo reoorda aa ward aubjrot to lnapeotion br pareone hating an lnt6reat theroln., and stat&d that suoh-an in- apeotion would promote the publio laterart an(L not br we quote rrom portions or that opinion d4trimenbl t&It.

as r0ii0mt

l X take the rub to bs In rrlatlon to auoh raodrda and doaumenta, ~althongh on rile ilth a pub110 offfeat pursuant to statute; that they o@ght not to .$a indla- arlmlnataly aubjeot to inrpeotlon. Howover,, any parson who has an i8tS~eSt ln stitch x4-. cord or docaPe& should ordlnar1lJ be per- mitted to inapeet it, 8nlea8 Its inepaOtfOn wou~ou,",v"oua'" be, drtrl~ex+al to pabllu f6 to determine . :.wa dirriatf what aonatltutaa a mfflilant interest or an untlmel~ and ipapropcrr olraonstanor : ror inapeotlon.

0. . . . . . . . I do not hold that these raporta are open generally for in- apeotlon to tha publip, but only to audh persona who satablleh a proper Intorest therein, and'tha barean-eeh undo8btedly roneulete a proosduro by whloh eeoh appli- oaat ror inapmdtl,ok .x&&l be raqulred to prove his lntbrstit aid right lnapotion, and that permltte~~ in'proper 04~66 08lf under reasonable regulation and a&zol.* *5 Ronorabls Homer DBrrIaon, Jr., page 5

Aoaordlbgto the abort authorltlsa, and alnoe theaa aooldant raparts ar4 of a publio.natUM baoauas they are raqulred bJ law tom be *kapta ant% iil4d by the me attaent 0r RlbliO saretr {seutlon 8-C. SIlb4ltlslon and Seotlon l2, Artidle 6687a, Yernon’e Texae Clwl& d St&tea) It la tha opinion or this D4partmrnt that prltate persona (or theirduly appuiiated r4pr4rantatltes) who show that th4r hare an..lntmraat ln aertaln of these reports, ar'c entitled to inapaat~auah raporta, .aqbj& to rtraao!iaUr regulati0na adopt46 by Pourd4partment.

Ae to what alght~oonatlt.uta~a sufficiuat intoMat (an- titling a parson to aaa thgm rdporta) in l agh lmtanaa, we are unable to say; each aaar; ln thla oonneotlon., must depina upon lt.a p3rtiaular raata.

XAY~THE DRPARTMRWpOF RlEaIC SAl'RTTI$PWSR TOXIRWISB CEM'IFIED GOPIIRI OF.ACCCID$RT REPORTS TOpRSVATlC It?-.

DIVILXIALS OBFI~SRRQWBSTIWC~SRGRGERTIPIED COPES?

In ooun4atloa wlth.th4~84~tw0 qu4atlona, wa ass-4 that.Pou :~refer.to the, &tf or issuing oertlr~.ad.

ooplea furnlahinglnltormatl0n~ barora aq aatual liti- gation la pending, and ta5a assumption will b4 the-baala for our answ4ra to these qasSCloti.

60 rar aa w4 bav4 found, thsra la no oonm0n law duty whloh rrould require public cb.floiala to Frraue asrtlrlsd aopiaa or their rsaorda rarrel~ upon applloa- tlon being made ror nuoh r40ord; nor ~hate we found any statute ln Texas whloh ~~allea It ths datf oi all pub110 oitlolal6 to furnish oertli+ad ooplsa or thelrrsoorda mer4lW wh4n a8oh'applicatioa la made. There are apeoial atatutea whlah raqulre asrtaln offlalaI8 to furnlah 4er- tlflad coplss or reoorda ln thrlr orflae when ~applloatlon la aade, Artlola~ 3722, Vernon'8 Retlard Civil Statutes, 1925; how4wer, none 0i thaae statutes plaoe au4h.a duty upon the Dapartaat 0$ Pub110 Welfare. Art1014 W3 (A), Vernonwe R4vla46 Oiril Statutea,~aefa oqt th4 dutlea of the Publia SsfetJ Comlssion, and Subdlvlslon (3) pro- rides!

1.86 Honorable Hoaer Cerrlson; g‘r.g pega 6

Vha Commission ahal eetabllah end make pabSle procl'ametldn of all rclao end rsgaletlona ior the condaot of the work OS the Departpant ea mey be deemed nsoeseery end err mey not be with the prorl111ons of lnconeletent thl8 Aat or ot the lewr or the State.* Tham stetutaa .then oredtg the oiiiee of Dirsotor of the Depertiat of Pub110 Seietyand Mlole &Al3 (6), Yernon~*a Civil Statutaa dsflnri hia olar8 end dntlrs. .Subdlrislon (6P pro- (2) of A&ale W3 ride8 in part;

“. . . . . . . .end make eueh rules end ~regaletlons,, sub jaot to, the epprctal of thr aoicml?rrlon; B'S hre d?,cmed neoessery ror the control or thr 'DepertmatFW .Sa no petilhg 12tfgetion ibstralng tht tharr which would Involve dny dt the'eu~cid~~t~~portr,.here~ rrrerreb'to, .It-I* ~otir;opiqlon Bhdt %htiWpsrkent'of Publfc Safety, in the .~ae~ofae~’ OS lte smnd di8otitiQn, oould by complylq with Artloles~~3 (4) i4U.4l.3 (6), aupre, adopt eaoh rules end. ragulat,lons that would for-.

bid the Ieerrance of~nertlilmd oop$qr o$ t@e?e faporta. .: .L

Although ~the:ebov+disdo8~ion refers fo her- tlfled doplas, It l8~'atlr,opUfon"thet the 11em0 ree~onr and conalasions air applfceble t+ the duty of fu?rnl~- ing lnfo&natlon oontelnad-in such reperts.

AHE CERTIFIED CCPIBB OFACCIDER'P R&OR'& SURJECFTC SIBFOEW~BT JUSTICB COUR% ARD COURTS OF EJ3HlSR DBBOmATIOH?

Article 462, fernon* Code or Crlmlnel Pro- cedure, 1923, provides :

%abpoen@ moaa Tymm., If 'a wItno hate IQ hle- caaaesslon my lns.tmt Dry or o'thgk thing ~desliad es.sil4ence, yMQf, ,.. the au poena;~:rsy ~o-,eoi-ty ,xiu&? brldence -and direct that .the'witners bring tha si3ma with hirn and prodaae lt~'ln cOurti* *7 187' Honorable Homer t3arrlson. Jr.. page 7

This atetute la eppllaable to orlalnal oeaea. In Texas there la no spealflo prwlsion for euah rub- poenea in civil oeaea, but they aey be leeued to oom- pel the production of booke and paper0 which are m&aria1 evidence for the party dswmdlmg them. See the oeaa of Stookuell te. Snyder (Ct. of Uir. App. of Tex. 1932) 51 S. W. (24) 812. where the oourt aeldr

a. . . Plelntlti ten elwaya issue e subpoena duoea teoum where the crldenor

is within the jurlsdlotlon of the oourt,

es wee the oeae here, or aen give notloa

to produos end offer eseondery srldence.

. . . .n See el.ao the aase or Slmon '1. Ash (Ct. of Civil Appeals of Texas. 1892) 20 8. 1. 719, rhsre'lt wee statedr

". . . But even third pernon6, who bre ln their poemeaion booka or paper8

in whloh one ot the partlee hem en lntrrest,

mey be compelld t.o producb tha; and by

*lntarfmt*, as tha mr4 is here used, we

understand that, if the doearents are

material eridanoe ior the party demanding

them, mmh party hes an lutaremt in them,

end their produdlon my be compelled by

either bill of discovery by subpoena

duos6 tsoum. 3 Ckresnl. BT. I 305. . . .w

By rirtoe of the above authorities, it ir the opinion or this Department that oertlrlad aoples of these eocldrnt reparta are aobjaot to e eubpoena duoee tecum by the coarte of this State, inaludlng' the justtioe of the peeaa courts, as well a6 the dls- triat and aounty oourta, Article 2&W, Vermn*a Re- rlasd Civil Statutes, 1925, aubjeot to the followlag conditions and limitations:

1. The evidence whioh the wltnsse la re- quired to produce auat be within the jorlsdlotloa

of the aourt. Stookwsll ~8. Snyder, supre.

In a olrll suit the subpoena oenixot be issued t; EI county other then that in whleh th*

trial oourt sits. ~ayles t~.,,B$edley and Meteelf

Coolpany, 92 Tsx. 406, 49 S. @. %9.

188 Honorable Homer Gerrlaon, Jr., pegs 8

3. A subpoena duoes teeum must give a reaaonebls aocurate description of the papers wentad, either by data, title, eubstanoe or the subject matter to which they relate. RX perte Gould, 132 s. w. 364, 31 I,. R. A., New Sarlos, 835.

However, there 1~8 no lsgel prohibition preventing or prohibiting the taking of depositlone 0r the oifloara, agantn, servants end employaaa OS

the Dapartmaat or Public Safety regarding the above mentioned eooldent reports, provided, of couraa, said depositiona are taken and obte~ined In the menner and &a;m~;lanoe wlth the law oontrolllng and governing

.

Yop1'8 +ery truly: ATTORRlKOBNERAL OFTEXAS OPlNlON 0 OOMMIITEL APPROVED 4eP