https://illinoisfoia.org/exemptions/7-1-d-i/ 2025-02-11T00:00:00Z https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-83921/ 2025-02-11T00:00:00Z

A requester asked the City of Granite City for crash reports and videos related to a specific accident. The City denied the request under section 7(1)(d)(i) of FOIA, claiming the records were exempt as part of a pending law enforcement proceeding. The Illinois Attorney General's Public Access Bureau reviewed the case and found that the City's blanket denial was improper, but that a small portion of witness statements could be withheld because their release would interfere with the accident recon

https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-82640/ 2024-12-31T00:00:00Z

A requester asked for I-Pass records related to a specific person, but the Lake County Forest Preserve District refused, claiming the records were exempt under several FOIA exemptions. The Attorney General's office reviewed the case and concluded that the District did not prove by clear and convincing evidence that the records were exempt under sections 7(1)(c), 7.5(w), 7(1)(d)(i), or 7(1)(d)(vi) of FOIA. The determination found that the District improperly denied the request.

https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-84370/ 2024-12-20T00:00:00Z

A requester asked the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) for video footage of a shooting, but OEMC denied the request, citing that releasing the video could interfere with an active police investigation. The Illinois Attorney General's Public Access Bureau reviewed the case and determined that no further action was warranted because the footage was exempt from disclosure under FOIA's law enforcement proceedings exemption. This means the request was denied for now, b

https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-82717/ 2024-10-09T00:00:00Z

A citizen requested a police incident report about missing swan decoys, but the Sheriff's Office refused to release it, claiming it would interfere with an ongoing court case. The Attorney General's Public Access Counselor reviewed the request and found that the Sheriff's Office did not provide enough evidence to justify keeping the report secret. Consequently, the Sheriff's Office was told they must release the records.

https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-79596/ 2024-03-01T00:00:00Z

A reporter requested records of a specific police interview, but the City of Peoria refused to release them, claiming they were exempt from disclosure. The Attorney General's Public Access Counselor reviewed the case and concluded that the City's denial was improper. This means the City should have provided the records to the requester.

https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-57377/ 2023-06-05T00:00:00Z

A reporter requested police records about a death investigation from the Park Ridge Police Department, which refused to provide them, citing federal FOIA exemptions. The Illinois Attorney General's Public Access Bureau reviewed the case and determined that the department's response violated the Illinois Freedom of Information Act because the department, as a state public body, could not rely on federal FOIA exemptions. The determination does not specify any remedy or order to release the records

https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-80655/ 2022-07-22T00:00:00Z

A citizen requested surveillance video of a shooting from the City of Kankakee, but the City refused to release it, claiming it would interfere with an ongoing legal case. The Attorney General's office reviewed the records and found the City did not prove that releasing the video would actually harm the legal process. Consequently, the PAC asked the City to provide the records to the requester.

https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-61099/ 2020-03-11T00:00:00Z

A law firm requested a police incident report from the City of Waukegan, but the City refused to provide it, claiming it was part of an active investigation. The Attorney General's office reviewed the request and found that the City was wrong to withhold the entire document. The City was asked to release the non-exempt portions of the report.

https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-60599/ 2020-01-10T00:00:00Z

A journalist requested police body camera footage from a search warrant execution at a private home. The Chicago Police Department denied the request, citing law enforcement exemptions. The Attorney General's office agreed that the police department did not violate the law, noting that the department is not required to release the footage even if the subjects of the video provide consent.

https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-32130/ 2019-03-29T00:00:00Z

The question was whether the Village of Forest Park properly withheld surveillance videos of a hit-and-run under FOIA Section 7(1)(d) exemptions, including an unargued but implicated Section 7(1)(d)(iii) fair-trial exemption. The Public Access Bureau held that the Village did not improperly deny the request at the time it was submitted, because disclosure during the pendency of the criminal prosecution would have created a substantial likelihood of depriving the defendant of a fair trial. The re

https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-13591/ 2018-10-30T00:00:00Z

A law firm requested internal audit manuals from the Illinois Department of Revenue to understand how the state determines corporate income and sales taxes. The Attorney General's office reviewed the request and concluded that the Department was legally allowed to keep these documents private to protect tax enforcement standards. This means the request for the records was denied and the case is now closed.

https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/2013-pac-25483/ 2013-11-12T00:00:00Z

The requester asked the police department for a copy of a specific police report, but the department denied the request, claiming disclosure would interfere with law enforcement proceedings and could deprive someone of a fair trial. The department also argued the requester should instead obtain the report through court discovery procedures. The PAC held that the department's justifications were vague and conclusory, failing to show by clear and convincing evidence that either exemption applied,