Personal cellphone used to conduct employee's official duties

Text messages sent and received from the personal cell phone of a public employee in the employee’s official capacity are public records of the employer and subject to the PRA.

Nissen v Pierce Co, ___ Wn.2d ___ (No.  90875-3)(Aug. 27, 2015)

Glenda Nissen, a sheriff’s detective, sent a public records request for text messages sent from a personal cell phone by Mark Lindquist, the Pierce County Prosecutor. Held, if text messages are sent and received on the personal cell phone of a public employee but they are sent/ and eceived in the employee’s official capacity they are public records of the employer and subject to the PRA.