California Court of Appeal

In a case brought pursuant to California Public Records Act (CPRA) by petitioner-news reporter requesting coroner and autopsy reports regarding a 1971 murder, petition for extraordinary writ is denied along with petitioner's motion to unseal the augmented record, and the alternative writ is discharged where: 1) coroner and autopsy reports that constituted investigations of a suspected homicide death were public records that were exempt from disclosure under Government Code section 6254 subdivision (f) of the CPRA; and 2) the subdivision exempts from public disclosure "investigatory..files complied by any...local agency for...law enforcement...purposes."

Appellate Information

• Decided 02/04/2009
• Published 02/04/2009

Judges

• DAVIS, J.

Court

• California Court of Appeal

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Kathryn J. Dixon, in pro. per., for Petitioner., Louis B. Green, County Counsel and Edward L. Knapp, Assistant County Counsel, for Real Party in Interest.


• For Appellees:
  
• No appearance for Respondent.