State ex rel. Cincinnati Enquirer v. Sage

{¶ 1} In this case, we determine the fate of a public-records request made by appellee/cross-appellant, the Cincinnati Enquirer. The Enquirer sought the *393recording of an outgoing phone call placed by a Butler County 9-1-1 dispatcher. We find that the recording is a public record under R.C. 149.43. We therefore affirm the court of appeals’ decision holding that the Enquirer was entitled to a writ of mandamus ordering the release of the recording. We also affirm the court’s award of statutory damages to the Enquirer. We find, however, that the court of appeals abused its discretion in not…