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5…Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5 - ù-(|G2 }$¤¤Ý ƒ£ª!ÝÑ€.ÑÑ8€F½»»dd8ÑÑ ý ÑÓ  ÓÝ  Ýà  àòòÚ  Ú0Ú  ÚóóÔ€ôðåò»»Ô d(|3G‰$££Ý ƒ£ª!ÝÑ€.ÑÑ8€F½»»dd8ÑÑ ý ÑÓ  ÓÝ  ÝVVVV'ÿÿdxd)!ÈÈÈÈdxdx( ±þ$’’ò òFigure€Ú  Ú1Ú  Úó ó^_X`YEþÿ<<CÿÿƒLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3G‰$¢¢Ý ƒ£ª!ÝÑ€.ÑÑ8€F½»»dd8ÑÑ ý ÑÓ  ÓÝ  Ý($$””ò òÚ  Ú1Ú  Úó óX[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿCÿÿ HKKKKÝ ƒ£ª!ÝÑ€.ÑÑ8€F½»»ddÈ8ÑÑ ý ÑÓ  ÓÝ  ÝÔ_ÔÑ  ÑÔ€¼F½»»»ÔÑ8€XXdì»»d8ÑÑ  ÑÔ€¼F½»»¼F½Ôà@ü ü ìàÔ‡î—F½ÔIN€THE€COURT€OF€APPEALS€OF€TENNESSEEˆÐ ° Ðà@kk$ìàAT€NASHVILLEÔ#†¼F½»îî—+#ԈРÖ& ÐÓ  ÓSeptember€6,€2001€SessionÐ üL ÐÔ‡XX»¼F½ÔÌò òÔ#†¼F½»XX#ÔÔ_ÔCHANTALÔ_Ô€M.€Ô_ÔELDRIDGEÔ_Ôòòóó€v.€PUTNAM€COUNTY,€TENNESSEEòòóóÔ‡XX»¼F½Ôó óÐ úJ ÐÌà@@½½ìàò ò€Appeal€from€the€Chancery€Court€for€Putnam€CountyÐ ú J Ðà@@øøìàNo.€2000„256€€€€€€Vernon€Neal,€JudgeÐ æ 6 ÐÌÌà@@ìì*ìàßA€V) °°` d€÷E<©` AßÐ ªú  ÐÌà@@TTìàNo.€M2000„02963„Ô_ÔCOAÔ_Ô„R3„CV€„€Filed€December€18,€Ô_Ô2001Ô_ÔÐ ¥õ  ÐÌßA€V) °°` dE<|` AßÐ }Í  Ðó óÌÓ  ÓThis€is€a€case€about€the€Open€Records€Act€as€applied€to€the€telephone€records€of€a€Drug€Task€Force.€Ð xÈ  ÐAfter€the€Chancery€Court€of€Putnam€County€ordered€the€County€to€produce€the€records,€the€CountyÐ d´ Ðappealed,€arguing€that€the€records€fit€an€exception€to€the€Act€or€that€the€County€should€be€able€at€theÐ P  Ðplaintiffððs€expense€to€redact€the€records€to€delete€confidential€information.€€We€modify€theÐ <Œ Ðchancellorððs€order€to€allow€the€County€to€redact€the€records€at€their€own€expense.Ð (x ÐÓÓÌò òTenn.€R.€App.€P.€3€Appeal€as€of€Right;€Judgment€of€the€Chancery€CourtÐ P ÐAffirmed€as€Modified€and€Remandedó óÐ ì< ÐÌòòÓ  ÓÔ#†¼F½»àXÖ#ÔÔ‡XX.¼F½ÔBen€H.€Cantrell,€P.J.,€M.S.óó,€delivered€the€opinion€of€the€court,€in€which€òòPatricia€J.€Cottrell,Ð Ä ÐJ.€óóand€òòWalter€C.€Kurtz,€Sp.€J.óó,€joined.Ð ° ÐÌJeffrey€G.€Jones,€Ô_ÔCookevilleÔ_Ô,€Tennessee,€for€the€appellant,€Putnam€County.Ð ˆØ ÐÌÔ_ÔChantalÔ_Ô€M.€Ô_ÔEldridgeÔ_Ô,€Ô_ÔCookevilleÔ_Ô,€Tennessee,€Pro€Se.Ð `° ÐÓÓÌò òOPINIONó óÔ#†¼F½»XXA#ÔÔ‡XX»¼F½ÔÐ 8!ˆ  ÐÌòòóóÔ#†¼F½»XX‰ #ÔÓ  ÓÔ€XX»¼F½Ôà  àOn€March€28,€2000,€the€plaintiff,€Ô_ÔChantalÔ_Ô€M.€Ô_ÔEldridgeÔ_Ô,€submitted€a€request€to€inspect€theÐ #`" Ð1991€to€1993€telephone€records€which€were€paid€for€by€public€funds€for€the€District€AttorneyÐ ü#L# ÐGeneralððs€office€for€the€Thirteenth€Judicial€Circuit.€€Putnam€County€responded€by€asserting€thatÐ è$8 $ Ðsome€of€the€records€might€contain€information€that€should€be€kept€confidential€because€it€pertainedÐ Ô%$!% Ðto€on„going€criminal€investigations.€€When€Ms.€Eldridge€persisted,€the€County€first€asserted€that€itÐ À&"& Ðwould€conduct€a€review€of€the€records€to€see€whether€they€contained€any€privileged€information,€andÐ ¬'ü"' Ðthen€the€County€demanded€a€$1,000.00€deposit€to€cover€the€cost€of€hiring€former€employees€toÐ ˜(è#( Ðconduct€the€review.€€Ð „)Ô$) ÐÌà  àOn€August€9,€2000,€Ms.€Eldridge€filed€a€petition€in€the€Chancery€Court€of€Putnam€CountyÐ \+¬&+ Ðâ âasking€that€she€be€allowed€to€inspect€and€copy€the€records€she€sought€in€her€various€requests.€€TheÐ H,˜',ý ÐCounty€denied€in€its€answer€that€the€records€she€sought€were€public€records€and€denied€that€it€actedÐ ° Ðwillfully€or€in€bad€faith€in€refusing€to€disclose€them.Ð œì Ðâ âÌà  àOnly€two€witnesses€testified€at€the€hearing.€€A€County€employee€in€charge€of€accountsÐ tÄ Ðpayable€testified€that€the€cellular€telephone€bills€for€the€Thirteenth€Judicial€Drug€Task€Force€wereÐ `° Ðpaid€out€of€public€funds€and€were€treated€as€any€other€public€record:€€they€were€sent€to€her€withoutÐ L œ Ðany€information€being€deleted;€she€was€not€instructed€to€keep€the€records€secret;€and€she€kept€themÐ 8 ˆ Ðin€a€regular€file,€open€for€inspection€by€anyone€who€made€a€request€and€filled€out€the€proper€forms.Ð $ t ÐÌà  àThe€District€Attorney€General€who€served€as€Chairman€of€the€Drug€Task€Force€confirmedÐ ü L  Ðthat€there€were€no€oral€or€written€directives€given€to€the€County€to€restrict€access€to€the€telephoneÐ è 8  Ðrecords.€€Nor€had€the€Task€Force€made€any€efforts€to€delete€any€confidential€information€from€theÐ Ô$  Ðrecords.€€He€testified€that€in€his€opinion€the€telephone€bills€could€contain€the€telephone€numbers€ofÐ À  Ðundercover€officers,€their€family€members,€and€confidential€informants.€€He€could€not€testify€aboutÐ ¬ü  Ðany€specific€information€that€should€be€kept€confidential.€€The€District€Attorney€testified€that€manyÐ ˜è  Ðof€the€persons€that€worked€on€the€Task€Force€no€longer€worked€there€and€that€to€locate€them€and€getÐ „Ô  Ðthem€to€review€the€records€for€confidential€information€would€probably€cost€the€County€twentyÐ pÀ Ðdollars€an€hour€for€their€time.€€That€was€the€reason€for€the€$1,000.00€expense€deposit.Ð \¬ ÐÌà  àThe€chancellor€held€that€the€County€had€failed€to€carry€its€burden€of€proof€to€show€that€theÐ 4„ Ðrecords€were€not€subject€to€the€Public€Records€Act,€Tenn.€Code€Ann.€ðð€ðð€10„7„503€ð!ð€505.€€The€finalÐ  p Ðdecree€ordered€the€County€to€produce€the€records€for€the€plaintiffððs€inspection€and€allowed€theÐ  \ Ðplaintiff€to€copy€the€records€at€her€own€expense.Ð øH ÐÌà@……)ìàò òII.ó óˆÐ Ð  ÐÌà  àTenn.€Code€Ann.€ðð€10„7„503(a)€provides€that€all€state,€county,€and€municipal€records,€exceptÐ ¨ø Ðthose€made€confidential€by€Tenn.€Code€Ann.€ðð€10„7„504(f),€and€those€authorized€to€be€destroyed€byÐ ”ä ÐTenn.€Code€Ann.€ðð€10„7„404,€ð ðshall€at€all€times,€during€business€hours,€be€open€for€personalÐ €Ð Ðinspection€by€any€citizen€of€Tennessee€.€.€.€.ðð€€Those€in€charge€of€such€records€are€forbidden€to€refuseÐ l¼ Ðany€citizen€the€right€to€inspect€such€records€ð ðunless€otherwise€provided€by€state€law.ðð€€òòId.óó€€TheÐ X ¨ Ðrecords€in€question€are€unquestionably€public€records;€the€County€does€not€seriously€contendÐ D!” Ðotherwise.Ð 0"€  ÐÌà  àThe€County€insists,€however,€that€the€records€in€question€òòmayóó€contain€confidentialÐ $X" Ðinformation.€€Tenn.€Code€Ann.€ðð€10„7„504(f)€protects€from€disclosure€certain€employee€information,Ð ô$D # Ðincluding€an€employeeððs€unpublished€telephone€number,€bank€account€information,€social€securityÐ à%0!$ Ðnumber,€and€driver€license€information,€except€where€driving€or€operating€a€vehicle€is€part€of€theÐ Ì&"% Ðemployeeððs€job€description€or€job€duties€or€incidental€to€the€performance€of€the€employeeððs€job.€€TheÐ ¸'#& Ðconfidentiality€extends€to€the€same€information€of€a€member€of€the€employeeððs€immediate€familyÐ ¤(ô#' Ðor€household.€€Paragraph€(2)€of€Tenn.€Code€Ann.€ðð€10„7„504(f)€provides€that€the€confidentialÐ )à$( Ðinformation€shall€be€redacted€whenever€possible,€but€the€fact€that€a€file€or€document€containsÐ |*Ì%) Ðconfidential€information€shall€not€be€used€to€limit€or€deny€access€to€otherwise€public€information.Ð h+¸&* Їà  àThe€chancellor€was€correct€in€finding€that€the€county€had€failed€to€show€that€the€records€inÐ ° Ðquestion€contained€any€confidential€information.€€The€casual€way€in€which€the€telephone€records€hadÐ œì Ðbeen€kept€indicates€either€that€they€did€not€contain€any€confidential€information€or€that€the€countyÐ ˆØ Ðwas€unconcerned€about€protecting€that€confidentiality€until€the€petitioner€sought€access€to€theÐ tÄ Ðrecords.Ð `° ÐÌà  àWe€hesitate,€however,€to€take€any€action€that€would€place€anyoneððs€life€in€danger.€€If€theÐ 8 ˆ ÐCounty€shares€that€concern,€it€should€be€allowed,€at€its€own€expense,€to€redact€the€telephone€recordsÐ $ t Ðto€remove€any€information€made€confidential€by€Tenn.€Code€Ann.€ðð€10„7„504(f).€€Any€redaction,Ð  ` Ðhowever,€will€be€subject€to€review€by€the€chancellor.€€We€modify€the€chancellorððs€order€to€thatÐ ü L  Ðextent.Ð è 8  ÐÌà  àThe€County€cites€òòThe€Tennessean€v.€Electric€Power€Board€of€Nashvilleóó,€979€S.W.2d€297Ð À  Ð(Tenn.€1998),€as€authority€for€the€Countyððs€demand€for€payment€of€the€expenses€incurred€in€findingÐ ¬ü  Ðthe€confidential€information€that€should€be€redacted.€€We€find,€however,€that€the€two€cases€areÐ ˜è  Ðdifferent.€€In€òòThe€Tennesseanóó,€the€Supreme€Court€found€that€the€statutes€allowed€a€recovery€for€theÐ „Ô  Ðcosts€of€ð ðmaking€.€.€.€extracts,€copies,€photographs€or€photostatsðð€of€the€records.€€979€S.W.2d€at€305.€Ð pÀ ÐSo€far,€the€plaintiff€has€not€asked€the€county€for€any€of€these€services.Ð \¬ ÐÌà  àThe€County€also€argues€on€appeal€that€Tenn.€Code€Ann.€ðð€10„7„504(g)(1)€dealing€with€policeÐ 4„ Ðofficers€working€undercover€also€makes€confidential€certain€information€included€in€the€telephoneÐ  p Ðrecords.€€This€section,€however€deals€with€information€segregated€and€kept€by€the€chief€lawÐ  \ Ðenforcement€officer€of€the€entity€for€which€the€officer€is€working.€€It€is€not€one€of€the€exceptionsÐ øH Ðlisted€in€Tenn.€Code€Ann.€ðð€10„7„503.€€So,€technically,€this€section€is€irrelevant€to€the€issues€onÐ ä4 Ðappeal,€but€to€the€extent€that€the€undercover€officer€is€a€state,€county,€or€municipal€employee€andÐ Ð  Ðhis/her€telephone€number€is€unlisted,€it€is€confidential€under€Tenn.€Code€Ann.€ðð€10„7„504(f).Ð ¼  ÐÌà  àThe€County€also€argues€that€there€is€an€ð ðinformer€privilegeðð€in€Tennessee€that€would€exemptÐ ”ä Ðfrom€disclosure€any€record€that€contained€the€identity€of€a€confidential€informer.€€òòSee€State€v.Ð €Ð ÐOsborneóó,€712€S.W.2d€488€(Tenn.€Ô_ÔCrimÔ_Ô.€App.€1986);€òòRoberts€v.€Stateóó,€489€S.W.2d€263€(Tenn.€Ô_ÔCrimÔ_Ô.Ð l¼ ÐApp.€1972).€€We€are€not€here€concerned,€however,€with€the€informer€privilege€as€it€may€be€appliedÐ X ¨ Ðin€the€context€of€a€criminal€prosecution.€€We€will€leave€that€to€the€criminal€courts.€€Our€SupremeÐ D!” ÐCourt€in€òòMemphis€Publishing€Co.€v.€Holtóó,€710€S.W.2d€513€(Tenn.€1986),€held€that€with€respect€toÐ 0"€  Ða€closed€investigative€file,€a€public€official€can€only€justify€refusing€a€Tennessee€citizen€access€toÐ #l! Ðpublic€records€by€proving€by€a€preponderance€of€the€evidence€that€the€record€comes€within€aÐ $X" Ðòòstatutoryóó€exemption.€€òòóóIn€òòÔ_ÔBallardÔ_Ô€v.€Ô_ÔHerzkeÔ_Ôóó,€924€S.W.2d€652€(Tenn.€1996),€the€Court€held€that€theÐ ô$D # ÐPublic€Records€Act€did€not€cover€documents€made€exempt€from€discovery€by€the€Rules€of€CivilÐ à%0!$ ÐProcedure.€€This€court€held€in€òòArnold€v.€City€of€Chattanoogaóó,€19€S.W.3d€779€(Tenn.€Ct.€App.€2000)€Ð Ì&"% Ðthat€other€exemptions€may€be€found€in€the€common€law.€€To€the€extent€that€the€County€believes€anyÐ ¸'#& Ðof€these€exemptions€apply€to€the€telephone€numbers€at€issue€in€this€case,€they€may€try€to€make€theirÐ ¤(ô#' Ðcase€before€the€chancellor€on€remand.Ð )à$( ÐÌÐ h+¸&* Ðà@^^(ìàò òIII.ó óˆÐ ° ÐÌà  àThe€plaintiff€argues€that€the€Countyððs€appeal€is€frivolous€and€that€she€should€be€awardedÐ ˆØ Ðdamages€pursuant€to€Tenn.€Code€Ann.€ðð€27„1„122.€€We€find,€however,€that€the€appeal€is€notÐ tÄ Ðfrivolous.Ð `° ÐÌà  àThe€judgment€below€is€modified€as€indicated€herein,€affirmed,€and€remanded€to€the€ChanceryÐ 8 ˆ ÐCourt€of€Putnam€County€for€further€proceedings.€€Tax€the€costs€on€appeal€to€the€appellant,€PutnamÐ $ t ÐCounty.òòòòóóóóÐ  ` ÐÌÌÌÌà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À à_________________________________________€Ð ¬ü  Ðà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àBEN€H.€CANTRELL,€PRESIDING€JUDGE,€M.S.