The Office of Legal Services is dedicated to providing quality legal services for the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet. As one of the largest Cabinets in state government with more than 7,000 employees and responsibility for the Commonwealth’s criminal justice services, the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet and its employees face a wide range of legal issues every day. Attorneys in the office provide legal assistance to the Cabinet’s officers, employees, and departments on a myriad of issues, such as employment and administrative law matters, regulatory and statutory interpretation, legislative initiatives, and a wide range of civil legal questions. They also provide representation before administrative bodies and in state and federal court in any matters that involve the Cabinet.
You may contact the Office of Legal Services by calling 502-564-7554.
Open Records Request
Kentucky Revised Statute (KRS) 61.870 and the Open Records Act (ORA) define a public record as "all books, papers, maps, photographs, cards, tapes, discs, diskettes, recordings, software, or other documentation regardless of physical form or characteristics, which are prepared, owned, used, in the possession of or retained by a public agency."
KRS 61.878 specifically itemizes a number of exclusions to which public records may be disclosed. Requested records will be provided in accordance with these exclusions and in accordance with the opinions of the Kentucky Attorney General. In part, the following records are exempt from an information request under KRS 61.878 (1)
- Public records containing information of a personal nature where the public disclosure thereof would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy (KRS 61.878 (1) (a) ).
- Records of law enforcement agencies or agencies involved in administrative adjudication that were compiled in the process of detecting and investigating statutory or regulatory violations, if the disclosure of the information would harm the agency (KRS 61.878(1)(g)).
- Preliminary drafts, notes and correspondence with private individuals other than correspondence that is intended to give notice of final action of a public agency (KRS 61.878 (1)(h)).
- Preliminary recommendations and preliminary memoranda in which opinions are expressed or policies are formulated or recommended (KRS 61.878 (1)(j)).
Public records or information the disclosure of which is otherwise prohibited by federal law or regulation, and public records or information the disclosure of which is prohibited or restricted or otherwise made confidential by an enactment of the General Assembly (KRS 61.878 (1)(j & k)).
To make an Open Records Request, you must submit a written request to:
Justice and Public Safety Cabinet
Office of General Counsel
Attn: Deanna Smith, Records Custodian
125 Holmes Street, 2nd Floor
Frankfort, KY 40601
JusticeOpenRecords@ky.gov
Phone: 502-564-3279
Fax: 502-564-6686
An open records request may be sent utilizing the standardized open records request form provided by the Kentucky Office of the Attorney General; however, it is not required.
To make an Open Records Request to the
Department of Corrections, click here.
To make an Open Records Request to the
Department of Criminal Justice Training, click here.
To make an Open Records Request to the
Department of Juvenile Justice, click here.
To make an Open Records Request to the
Department of Public Advocacy, click here.
To make an Open Records Request to the
Kentucky State Police, click here.
To make an Open Record Request to another department or agency of the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, you must submit a written request to:
Justice and Public Safety Cabinet
Office of General Counsel
Attn: Deanna Smith, Records Custodian
125 Holmes Street, 2nd Floor
Frankfort, KY 40601
JusticeOpenRecords@ky.gov