Metadata In Arizona Public Records Can't Be Withheld

jasonbuechler writes in with news of the first state to declare that metadata is part of public records and must be released when the records are. "Hidden data embedded in electronic public records must be disclosed under Arizona's public records law, the state Supreme Court said Thursday... The Supreme Court's unanimous decision, which overturned lower court rulings, is believed to be the first by a state supreme court on whether a public records law applies to so-called metadata. 'This is at the cutting edge — it's the law trying to catch up with technology,' [one lawyer said]. The Arizona ruling came in a case involving a demoted Phoenix police officer's request for data embedded in notes written by a supervisor. The officer got a printed copy but said he wanted the metadata to see whether the supervisor backdated the notes to before the demotion."

Comments

Just a part

[Philip K Dickhead]

of an ordinary "Audit Trail". Now, you don't have to rely on manual log-entries and sign-out sheets.

Re:Just a part

[causality]

of an ordinary "Audit Trail". Now, you don't have to rely on manual log-entries and sign-out sheets.

It says a lot that this actually went to court in the first place, let alone that it went to the state Supreme Court. What part of "public record" needed clarification, exactly?

Re:Just a part

[rickb928]

You apparently have never filed a FOIA request anywhere. Government is at least as secretive as private industry.

In this case, clearly the police department didn't want to expose things such as 'when' and 'where', just the 'what' and 'who'. Add those other two items, and the 'why' becomes more evident.

Good job, though. Hope it works out for him.

Smart police officer

[bennomatic]

Probably deserves a promotion.

Re:Smart police officer

[earnest murderer]

Should probably get out of police work if he's got that much sense.

Nothing against police officers, but once you cut through the hyperbole it's mostly a processing job with a car and a gun. If you step out of that role as a processor you're likely to harm yourself or others.

Re:Smart police officer

[timeOday]

I would imagine when cops turn against each other, all sorts of hilarity ensues. They know their rights, plus they known the workings of the system, plus they have a lot of exposure to nefarious/criminal minds. Sort of like when two ambulance-chasing lawyers have a fender-bender.

Re:Smart police officer

[StormyWeather]

I ran an ISP owned by a lawyer once upon a time. The guy before me I found out had embezzled like 60 grand by writing checks to his wife for "services rendered". I told the lawyer, and he said, "that figures" and went back to his work. I asked aren't you going to sue him? He said that smart lawyers never sue anyone themselves, it's much more profitable to sue for other people. He told me to make sure to pay taxes as if she was a contractor, and turned back to his work obviously not wanting to be disturbed again.

So two ambulance chasing lawyers would probably just file insurance, and be done with it :).

Re:Smart police officer

[Mikkeles]

'He told me to make sure to pay taxes as if she was a contractor, ...'

This being embezzlement and all, there's a good chance that no income was declared. By you filing a tax form, the IRS would probably become extremely interested and start asking questions. An audit would not be pleasant for him or his wife.

Re:Smart police officer

[pilsner.urquell]

I know more than a few (Phoenix) police officers and they claim an officer has to be smart or they won't last out on the street.

BTW, this is the first I've herd of this lawsuit but I an glad of the outcome.

Re:Smart police officer

[SoTerrified]

He told me to make sure to pay taxes as if she was a contractor, and turned back to his work obviously not wanting to be disturbed again.

Ok, that made me laugh. You just heard it as "Oh, you're not going to sue him, you're just going to let him get away with it? And all you care about is taxes are being paid?" But when I read it, I heard a smart lawyer saying it wasn't worth his time to go after the embezzler... But by declaring it on the taxes, he'd be raising a flag that the IRS could very likely investigate causing all sorts of problems. (It's highly unlikely the embezzler declared his embezzled income.) In other words, the lawyer quickly found a zero cost, legal way to get his 'revenge'. Tell me that's not worthy of a chuckle.

Re:Smart police officer

[networkBoy]

I got stiffed on a contract job. Nothing big, ~$600 for install and config of 6 XP machines in an R&D lab.

They decided not to pay, and it wasn't worth fighting for it (I'd lose more money in time spent fighting them than had I simply worked another job), soooo I filed a 1099 for lost income with the IRS and called it good. Basically the way the law is written, by declaring they owed me the money, then forgiving the debt I could use that $600 to offset $600 earned elsewhere and not pay taxes on it.
The flip side is that their required to claim that $600 as income, and since they likely won't I have the satisfaction of them going through an audit.
-nB

Cutting edge?

[amicusNYCL]

Quoth the lawyer:

'This is at the cutting edge — it's the law trying to catch up with technology'

So it's not really the cutting edge then, is it? It's the law only now trying to cope with decades-old technology.

Re:Cutting edge?

[maxume]

I think perhaps he was talking about it being the cutting edge of the law. Maybe. But probably.

Re:Cutting edge?

[Interoperable]

Decades-old is bleeding edge as far as the law is concerned.

Re:Apple really doesn't have a choice

[johofnovi]

Bah! Totally posted to the wrong thread. fail. =(

Re:Grammar Police

[Obfuscant]

Thank you. Data are plural, not a singular group noun.

Data are neither singular nor plural, they just are. That's like thinking your automobile is singular or plural. It's neither, it just is.

'Data', the word, IS plural, but as a single word requires singular references. Thus '"data" is plural' is correct. OTH, "'data' is plural and 'datum' is singular" ARE correct.

Isn't english fun?

So, were they back dated?

[MobyDisk]

So I want to know if they really were back dated. And if so, I hope his supervisor gets fired and that they re-hire this officer. And give him a medal.

Re:Apple really doesn't have a choice

[Killer Orca]

are you sure you know what thread you're posting in?

There's an app for that.