FOIA section 9(b)

FOIA

5 ILCS 140/9(b). Section 9 overview: When a public body denies a request, the denial must be in writing, must give a detailed factual basis for whichever exemption it's claiming (not just cite the letter), must name who made the decision, and must tell the requester about their right to go to the Public Access Counselor or to court.

1 issue across 1 determination letter:1 violation found.

Counts are per issue, not per letter, and come from automated extraction checked against sampled letters. Determination letters are not binding precedent.

Drafting brief for an AI assistant

Copy this into your assistant to help draft a request, appeal, or challenge to a denial that turns on this issue. It carries the rules and decisions, not your facts: add those yourself. Machine-readable version: foia-9-b.json.

TOPIC: 5 ILCS 140/9(b)
SOURCE: Illinois Attorney General Public Access Bureau decisions compiled at https://illinoisfoia.org/issues/foia-9-b/
NOTE: Determination letters are not binding precedent; they show how the Bureau applies the law. Verify every decision against the source PDF before citing it.

VIOLATION FOUND (1):
- Village failed to specify exemptions and factual basis
  Rule: A denial notice must specify the exemption claimed, the specific reasons for denial, a detailed factual basis, and a citation to supporting legal authority.
  Decision: A village superintendent's and zoning administrator's emails (non-binding determination letter, May 2, 2023) https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-73487/



TASK FOR THE ASSISTANT: Using only the decisions above, help draft a letter. Argue from the rule and cite the decision by name and date. Do not invent decisions.

Violation found (1)

Village failed to specify exemptions and factual basis
Rule: A denial notice must specify the exemption claimed, the specific reasons for denial, a detailed factual basis, and a citation to supporting legal authority.
Violation found A village superintendent's and zoning administrator's emails · May 2, 2023