06. Petition for judicial review. (a) Petition.-- (1) If a request under section 67A03 (relating to requests for law enforcement audio recordings
Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes
Section: 67A06
Jurisdiction: PA
Bluebook Citation: 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 67A06
§ 67A06. Petition for judicial review. (a) Petition.-- (1) If a request under section 67A03 (relating to requests for law enforcement audio recordings
or video recordings) is denied, the requester may file a petition for judicial review
in the court of common pleas with jurisdiction within 30 days of the date of denial. (2) The respondent to a petition filed under this section shall be the entity that denied
the request for the audio recording or video recording under section 67A05(a) (relating
to procedure) unless the request is denied under section 67A05(b), in which case the
law enforcement agency that created the audio recording or video recording shall be
the respondent. (b) Duties of petitioner.-- A petitioner under this section shall have the following duties: (1) The petitioner shall pay a filing fee of $125. (2) If the incident or event that is the subject of the request occurred inside a residence,
the petitioner shall certify that notice of the petition has been served or that service
was attempted on each individual who was present at the time of the audio recording
or video recording and on the owner and occupant of the residence. Notice shall not
be required under this paragraph if the identity of an individual present or the location
is unknown and not reasonably ascertainable by the petitioner. Service shall be effective
upon receipt from personal delivery or certified mail with proof of service. (3) The petitioner shall include with the petition a copy of the written request under
section 67A03 that was served on the law enforcement agency and any written responses
to the request that were received. (4) The petitioner shall serve the petition on the open-records officer of the respondent
within five days of the date that the petitioner files the petition with the court
of common pleas with jurisdiction, and service shall be effective upon receipt by
the open-records officer for personal delivery or certified mail with proof of service. (c) Intervention as matter of right.-- If not a respondent, a prosecuting attorney with jurisdiction may intervene in the
action as a matter of right. (d) Summary dismissal.-- It shall be grounds for summary dismissal of a petition filed under this section if: (1) the request to the law enforcement agency under section 67A03 or the filing of the
petition under subsection (a) is untimely; (2) the request to the law enforcement agency failed to describe with sufficient particularity
the incident or event that is the subject of the audio recording or video recording,
including the date, time and location of the incident or event; or (3) the petitioner has not complied with the requirements of subsection (b)(1), (2), (3)
and (4). (e) Approval.-- A court of common pleas with jurisdiction may grant a petition under this section,
in whole or in part, and order the disclosure of the audio recording or video recording
only if the court determines that the petitioner has established all of the following
by a preponderance of the evidence: (1) The request was not denied under section 67A04 (relating to law enforcement review)
or the request was denied under section 67A04 and the court of common pleas with jurisdiction
determines that the denial was arbitrary and capricious. (2) The public interest in disclosure of the audio recording or video recording or the
interest of the petitioner outweighs the interests of the Commonwealth, the law enforcement
agency or an individual's interest in nondisclosure. In making a determination under
this paragraph, the court of common pleas may consider the public's interest in understanding
how law enforcement officers interact with the public, the interests of crime victims,
law enforcement and others with respect to safety and privacy and the resources available
to review and disclose the audio recording or video recording.
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