Georgia Supreme Court Ruling Clarifies Open Records Act Scope for District Attorney Offices

In a landmark ruling on October 29, 2024, the Supreme Court of Georgia issued a decision in Gonzalez v. Miller, outlining how District Attorney (DA) offices are governed by the Open Records Act (ORA). The court’s ruling clarified the extent to which DA offices must respond to ORA requests while also addressing constitutional immunity protections for District Attorneys.

District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez, Georgia’s Western Circuit district, issued a statement emphasizing that the constitutional immunity for DA offices shields against potential misuse of the ORA, which he claims has been leveraged by political opponents against his office in the past. The Supreme Court’s decision, Gonzalez noted, strengthens the immunity provision while preserving public access within lawful parameters.

“Our office has always complied with ORA requests, even those filed in bad faith by the dozens, requiring thousands of responses,” said Gonzalez. “This ruling reinforces our commitment to transparency and to protecting the integrity of this office from abuse.”

DA Gonzalez further noted that the decision benefits all DA offices across Georgia by safeguarding constitutional immunities. “This means that all DAs will enjoy the benefit of our fight to protect the office’s constitutional immunities—something I expect we all can agree is important to the rule of law,” he said.

The ruling highlights the balance between accountability to the public and protections for the prosecutorial role, marking a significant moment in Georgia’s legal landscape for DA offices.