AG says city can't require records requests to be made in person or on special form

The City of Cumberland can't require open-records requests to be filed in person, the state attorney general ruled last week.

Attorney General Jack Conway also said the city may not require records requests to be made on its own special form. The decision came in the case of Carl Hatfield, who had filed requests for an assortment of city records.

Conway also issued a decision last week saying that Louisville Metro Corrections officials had acted properly in denying two inmates' request for records that did not contain a specific reference to one or both of them, as required by statute.

Attorney general's decisions have the force of law in open-records and open-meetings matters, but losers can appeal to circuit court.