Hart v. Illinois State Police

Illinois Supreme Court
Civil Court
Freedom of Information Act
Citation
Case Number: 
2023 IL 128275
Decision Date: 
Thursday, November 30, 2023
Holding: 
Judgments reversed.
Justice: 
CUNNINGHAM

Plaintiffs filed a lawsuit seeking to obtain information relating to their Firearm Owner’s Identification cards after the Illinois State Police denied their request for documents under FOIA on the grounds that the requested information was exempt from disclosure. The trial court ordered ISP to produce the information and the appellate court affirmed, finding that the exemption contained an exception for information pertaining to the requester. The Supreme Court reversed, finding that there was no exception in the language of FOIA and that the requested information was exempt from disclosure. The court noted, however, that the plaintiffs had other avenues to obtain the desired information. (THEIS, NEVILLE, OVERSTREET, HOLDER WHITE, ROCHFORD, and O’BRIEN, concurring)