Court Records are not Subject to the Public Records Act

In Federal Way v. Koenig, the Washington Supreme Court held that the Public Records Act does not apply to court files. David Koenig requested records from the Federal Way Municipal Court regarding correspondence between a then-sitting-judge and the presiding judge. In a 6-3 opinion, the Court reaffirmed its decision in Nast v. Michels, that the PRA does not apply to court files because the judiciary is not an “agency” within the PRA.
See also the Washington Supreme Court’s blog.