Judge sides with KSL, orders release of Utah attorney general’s calendar

Sound up for our interview with KSL Investigative producer Annie Knox.

 

 

SALT LAKE CITY – A Utah judge ruled Tuesday that the state’s attorney general must release his schedule to KSL in response to an open records request.

The victory for the news organization is the culmination of a public records fight that dragged on for more than a year as the attorney general’s office took KSL to court, fighting an earlier ruling to release Attorney General Sean Reyes’ schedule.

Third District Judge Patrick Corum granted KSL’s motion for summary judgment, ordering the schedule be released before the case went to trial.

An attorney for KSL argued in court that these schedules are important because they show if government employees are doing their jobs or not.

A lawyer for the Utah Attorney General’s Office said the office isn’t trying to hide anything, and under their interpretation of Utah’s open records law, a daily calendar cannot be made publicly available in response to an open records request.

KSL first sought a copy of Attorney General Sean Reyes’ schedule more than a year ago, in November 2022.

The Utah State Records Committee ruled in favor of KSL in May, ordering Reyes’ office to release the calendar but allowing it to redact any information about his personal engagements, along with the locations of his work appointments. Reyes’ office appealed to the 3rd District Court.

After hearing arguments Monday, Corum said he wanted another day to study a 2005 change to the state law that changed just one word from “and” to “or.” The change states that “a daily calendar or other personal note…prepared for personal use” isn’t subject to public release.

Please read the complete story at KSLTV.com.