Runyon v. Board of Prison Terms & Paroles

KNIGHT, J.

Respondents’ demurrer to appellant’s petition for a writ of mandate was sustained without leave to amend, and from the judgment of dismissal entered pursuant to the order made in that behalf this appeal has been taken.

The

mandamus

proceeding initiated by the filing of said petition involved the question of whether letters and other communications and documents which are sent volmv tarily by various individuals to the state board of prison terms and paroles in connection with the hearing and determination of applications for parol of prisoners in the state prisons, but which are not required by law to be sent to said board, nor to be filed as official records in the office thereof, are open to the inspection of any citizen of the state under the provisions of section 1032 of the Political Code. The trial court held they are not, and it is our conclusion that its ruling should be sustained.

The opening sentence of said code section, which is the source of appellant’s claim of right of access to the letters and documents in question, provides: “The public records and other matters in the office of any officer, are at all times, during office hours, open to inspection of any citizen of this state”; and although it has been held that the use therein of the words “other matters” operates to extend, in a certain class of cases, the right of access to documents which are not required by law to be filed as public records, but which relate to matters essential to the general welfare of taxpayers, such for example as matters of taxation, revenue, and the proceedings for the carrying out of governmental projects at public expense

(Coldwell

v.

Board of Public Works,

187 Cal. 510 [202 Pac. 879]; 23 R. C. L., pp. 160, 161), the courts have consistently declared that in another class of cases public policy demands that certain communications and documents shall be treated as confidential and therefore are not open to indiscriminate inspection, notwithstanding that they are in the custody of a public officer or board and are of a public nature. (23 R. G. L., pp. 160-163.) Included in this class are documents and records kept on file in public institutions, concerning the condition, care and treatment of the inmates thereof, and the

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