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Public records support accountability and disability access,

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but a delayed, denied, incomplete response does

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not prove concealment or obstruction. Build a

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seven-field request record: governing law and agency;

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exact request; receipt date; tracking number; search

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scope; exemption or fee decision; and appeal

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route. Federal FOIA sets a twenty-working-day determination

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period, subject to extensions. Connecticut law uses

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prompt access, not that federal deadline. When

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needed, request accessible electronic formats and document

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the agency response, alternatives, and written limits.

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Preserve originals, metadata, redactions, and correspondence. Separate

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acknowledgment from search, exemption from destruction, and

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platform termination from intent. A gap may

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justify careful review; it does not alone

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prove discrimination, retaliation, fraud, obstruction, or liability.

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Read the claim-safe checklist at david-medeiros.com/records-access.