Roy Dumas v. Executive Office of Public Safety and Security - Department of State Police (SPR 20160946)

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth Public Records Division

Shawn A, Williams Supervisor of Records

November 2, 2016 SPR16/946

Roy Dumas

North Central Correctional Institution

500 Colony Road, P.O. Box 466

Gardner, MA 01440-0466

Dear Mr. Dumas:

[have received your petition appealing the response of the Department of State Police Crime Lab (Department) to a request for public records. G. L. c. 66 § 10(b); see also 950 C.M.R. 32.08(2). The requirements for an appeal are as follows:

Such appeal shall be in writing, shall include a copy of the original request, a copy of the letter by which the custodian made a response, and a brief narrative. The Supervisor of Records shall accept an appeal only from a person who has made his or her request in writing.

Given that a copy of the original request was not included, we are unable to assist you in this appeal at this time. Please feel free to re-submit your appeal when you have retrieved copies of all the required documents.

Please be advised that your personal status in the matter in question does not afford any greater right of access to the requested information, as the Public Records Law does not distinguish between requesters. Access to a record requested pursuant to the Public Records Law rests on the content of the record and not the circumstances of the requester. See Bougas v. Chief of Police of Lexington, 371 Mass. 59, 64 (1976). However, some statutes and regulations allow requesters to obtain records in a manner that does not require a request under the Public Records Law.

awn A. Williams Supervisor of Records cc: Kerry A. Collins, Esq.

One Ashburton Place, Room 1719, Boston, Massachusetts 02108 * (617) 727-2832¢ Fax: (617) 727-5914 sec.state.ma.us/pre * pre@sec.state.ma.us