State Ex Rel. Journal Co. v. County Court of Racine County

Recent Wisconsin cases have discussed and clarified the right of a member of the public to inspect the records or papers filed with, or kept by, a governmental agency or officer.

State ex rel. Youmans v. Owens (1965), 28 Wis. 2d 672, 137 N. W. 2d 470, 139 N. W. 2d 241, considered the demand of Henry A. Youmans, publisher of the Wauke-sha Freeman, to inspect the report of the city attorney’s investigation of alleged police misconduct that was in the hands of the mayor, as statutory head of the police department. No specific statute referred to the right of the public or of any person or citizen…