In accordance with state law, the Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has provided a request form to aid in Sunshine Law Requests under Missouri Sunshine Law.
Please fill out the form completely:
According to Missouri Sunshine Law, “The Custodian of Records must respond to requests within three business days, by: (1) providing the requested records; (2) informing the requestor that the records sought are closed and citing the proper provision for closure; or (3) explain the cause of the delay and estimating when the records will be provided. The day a request is received by the Custodian of Records does not count as one of the three business days. The time for providing access may exceed three business days for reasonable cause.”
Record requests submitted after business hours, will not be considered received by the office until the following day.
Effective October 22, 2022, Dale Tavares is the assigned Custodian of Records for the Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
FEE SCHEDULE:
Under § 610.026 RSMo., the office may collect fees to recover the cost and labor to complete a request. All fees are due prior to the release of records. Complex requests are subject to cost estimation increases. Production fees may not be identified until staff research is conducted, and two cost estimations may be provided before final release of records. Please remit money orders, payable to the Christian County Prosecuting Attorney. WE ARE UNABLE TO ACCEPT CASH, CHECKS OR CREDIT/DEBIT CARDS AS PAYMENT.
•Ten cents (10¢) per page copies 9 x 14 or smaller.
•Twenty-five cents (25¢) per CD
•Fifteen cents (15¢) per page copies larger than 9 x 14.
•Thirty cents (30¢) per DVD.
•Duplicating time shall be charged at $15.69 per hour.
•Research time shall be charged at $19.52 per hour.
*Fees may be adjusted annually
Records will be produced electronically unless requested otherwise. Records with file formats too large to email will be produced on digital media and can either be picked up in-person or mailed. If applicable, postages rates will be applied to your cost estimate and will be required to be paid prior to release of records.
Sunshine Law Requests for Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office may be emailed to Christian.County.Sunshine@prosecutors.mo.gov .
Or mailed to the office at:
Christian County Prosecuting Attorney
ATTN: Custodian of Records, Dale Tavares
102 W. Walnut, First Floor, Ozark, MO 65721
Please be advised, there are statutory exceptions to law enforcement records in Missouri Sunshine Law, which can impact the records availability to the public based upon the status of the investigation and/or disposition of the incident.
According to Missouri Attorney General’s Office: Brief Summary Regarding Law Enforcement Records:
“Records relating to law enforcement operations are addressed in a specific set of statutes within Chapter 610. In general, all incident and arrest reports are open records, but mobile video records and investigative reports are closed until the investigation becomes inactive, as the arrest record if the person arrested is not charged within 30 days. Other exceptions apply with respect to certain mobile video records and portions of records which, if released, would endanger victims, witnesses, undercover officers or other persons, or which would jeopardize a criminal investigation. Special rules apply to information grained from 911 calls, and particularly graphic crime scene photographs and video are generally closed.”
If you have any questions about Sunshine Law, please contact the office at 417-581-7915.
Resources:
Sunshine Law Information on Missouri Attorney General’s Website: https://ago.mo.gov/missouri-law/sunshine-law
Missouri Attorney General’s Sunshine Law Booklet (PDF): https://ago.mo.gov/docs/default-source/publications/missourisunshinelaw.pdf?sfvrsn=20
Missouri Revised Statute Complete Statute Text, Sunshine Law: https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneChapter.aspx?chapter=610
That Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office shall comply with §§610.010 to 610.225, the Sunshine Law, as now existing or hereafter amended.