{
 "topic": "FOIA section 7.5(bb) - Statutorily-confidential record set referenced via Sec. 7.5(bb)",
 "statute": "5 ILCS 140/7.5(bb)",
 "family": "Other statutory exemptions (section 7.5)",
 "page": "https://illinoisfoia.org/issues/foia-7-5-bb/",
 "note": "Determination letters are non-binding. Verify against the source PDF before citing.",
 "counts": {
  "violation_found": 2,
  "no_violation": 4,
  "no_determination": 0,
  "other": 0
 },
 "challenge_notes": {
  "generated_by": "AI summary of the decisions listed on this page; not legal advice; verify each decision against its PDF",
  "when_a_challenge_is_strong": [
   {
    "text": "Requester is the parent of the juvenile who is the subject of the records, seeking records about their own child.",
    "why": "Under the Juvenile Court Act, a parent of a juvenile subject may access portions of juvenile law enforcement records concerning their own child, with other minors' identifying information redacted.",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "Police reports on juvenile suspects at a golf course",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-66759/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "The records relate to a minor's traffic citation and the public body has not proven they are confidential juvenile law enforcement records.",
    "why": "The public body must show the records meet the Juvenile Court Act definition of confidential juvenile law enforcement records; failing that, the exemption does not apply.",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "Police reports, video, body camera footage, and 9-1-1 calls about an accident",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-58028/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   }
  ],
  "when_the_body_usually_wins": [
   {
    "text": "Requester is the parent of a minor victim and the suspect is also a minor.",
    "why": "The Juvenile Court Act prohibits disclosure of juvenile law enforcement records to a minor victim's parent when the suspect is a minor.",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A police incident report involving a juvenile",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-75318/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "Requester is a member of the general public seeking juvenile law enforcement records (e.g., criminal history, investigation records).",
    "why": "The Juvenile Court Act bars disclosure of juvenile law enforcement records to the general public, even with redactions, and this applies to deceased minors.",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "Juvenile criminal history records of a deceased individual",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-84605/#issue-1"
     },
     {
      "title": "Police school absentee reports on minors",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-83945/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "Records document an investigation of a minor, even if they also concern an adult, and the requester is not the parent of the juvenile subject.",
    "why": "Such records are confidential juvenile law enforcement records and must be withheld in full, regardless of any adult involvement.",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "Police reports, body camera footage, and dispatch calls involving a juvenile",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-78704/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   }
  ],
  "points_to_put_in_the_letter": [
   {
    "text": "If you are the parent of the juvenile who is the subject of the records, state that the Juvenile Court Act allows a parent access to portions concerning your own child, with other minors' identifying information redacted.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "Police reports on juvenile suspects at a golf course",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-66759/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "If the records involve a minor's traffic citation, argue that the public body has not shown these are confidential juvenile law enforcement records under the Juvenile Court Act, and that mere involvement of a minor is not enough.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "Police reports, video, body camera footage, and 9-1-1 calls about an accident",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-58028/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   }
  ],
  "facts_to_gather": [
   "Your relationship to the juvenile (e.g., parent of the subject, parent of a victim, general public).",
   "The type of record (e.g., incident report, traffic citation).",
   "Whether the juvenile was taken into custody or is the subject of an investigation.",
   "The ages of any suspect(s) and victim(s)."
  ],
  "common_mistakes": [
   {
    "text": "Assuming a parent of a minor victim can access juvenile law enforcement records when the suspect is also a minor.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A police incident report involving a juvenile",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-75318/#issue-1"
     },
     {
      "title": "Police reports on juvenile suspects at a golf course",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-66759/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "Thinking that confidentiality of juvenile law enforcement records ends upon the minor's death.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "Juvenile criminal history records of a deceased individual",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-84605/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "Assuming any record mentioning a minor is exempt without checking if it qualifies as a juvenile law enforcement record (e.g., a traffic citation may not be).",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "Police reports, video, body camera footage, and 9-1-1 calls about an accident",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-58028/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   }
  ],
  "caution": "These patterns are drawn from non-binding determination letters and turn on specific facts; verify the PDFs for full context."
 },
 "issues": [
  {
   "issue": "Withholding entire incident report under JCA exemption",
   "outcome": "violation_found",
   "rule": "A parent of a juvenile subject may access portions of juvenile law enforcement records concerning their own child, with other minors' identifying information redacted.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "Police reports on juvenile suspects at a golf course",
    "date": "2021-08-24",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-66759/"
   },
   "authorities": [
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 58545",
     "url": null
    },
    {
     "text": "NBC Subsidiary (WMAQ-TV) LLC v. Chicago Police Dep't, 2019 IL App (1st) 181426",
     "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/cases/2019%20IL%20App%20(1st)%20181426/"
    },
    {
     "text": "Collinsville Community Unit School District No. 10 v. Regional Board of School Trustees of St. Clair County, 218 Ill. 2d 175",
     "url": null
    },
    {
     "text": "People v. Gutman, 2011 IL 110338",
     "url": null
    },
    {
     "text": "Abruzzo v. City of Park Ridge, 231 Ill. 2d 324",
     "url": "https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/2105208/abruzzo-v-city-of-park-ridge/"
    },
    {
     "text": "Wisnasky-Bettorf v. Pierce, 2012 IL 111253",
     "url": null
    },
    {
     "text": "Southern Illinoisan v. Illinois Department of Public Health, 218 Ill. 2d 390",
     "url": null
    },
    {
     "text": "Lieber v. Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University, 176 Ill. 2d 401",
     "url": null
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "issue": "Denial of records under FOIA exemption 7.5(bb) and JCA confidentiality",
   "outcome": "violation_found",
   "rule": "The Sheriff's Office failed to prove that records related to a minor's traffic citation are confidential juvenile law enforcement records under the JCA, so the exemption did not apply.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "Police reports, video, body camera footage, and 9-1-1 calls about an accident",
    "date": "2019-08-20",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-58028/"
   },
   "authorities": [
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. Pub. Acc. Op. No. 18-016",
     "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/2018-pac-54236/"
    },
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. Pub. Acc. Op. No. 12-012",
     "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/2012-pac-19602/"
    },
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 42359",
     "url": null
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "issue": "Denial of juvenile criminal history records under FOIA",
   "outcome": "no_violation",
   "rule": "The JCA prohibits disclosure of juvenile law enforcement records to the general public, even if redacted, and this applies to deceased minors.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "Juvenile criminal history records of a deceased individual",
    "date": "2025-01-08",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-84605/"
   },
   "authorities": [
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 50793",
     "url": null
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "issue": "CPD denial of School Absentee Reports under section 7.5(bb)",
   "outcome": "no_violation",
   "rule": "Section 7.5(bb) exempts information prohibited from disclosure by the Juvenile Court Act, which bars disclosure of law enforcement records relating to minors taken into custody or limited custody.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "Police school absentee reports on minors",
    "date": "2024-12-16",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-83945/"
   },
   "authorities": []
  },
  {
   "issue": "Withholding records under JCA confidentiality exemption",
   "outcome": "no_violation",
   "rule": "Records documenting investigation of a minor are confidential juvenile law enforcement records and must be withheld in full, even if they also concern an adult.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "Police reports, body camera footage, and dispatch calls involving a juvenile",
    "date": "2024-06-20",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-78704/"
   },
   "authorities": [
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. Pub. Acc. Op. No. 23-010",
     "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/2023-pac-76670/"
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "issue": "Denial of juvenile law enforcement report to victim's parent",
   "outcome": "no_violation",
   "rule": "The JCA prohibits disclosure of juvenile law enforcement records to a minor victim's parent when the suspect is also a minor, so the City properly withheld the report.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "A police incident report involving a juvenile",
    "date": "2025-03-27",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-75318/"
   },
   "authorities": [
    {
     "text": "NBC Subsidiary (WMAQ-TV) LLC v. Chicago Police Department, 2019 IL App (1st) 181426",
     "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/cases/2019%20IL%20App%20(1st)%20181426/"
    },
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 74728, issued January 25, 2023",
     "url": null
    },
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 84341, issued January 3, 2025",
     "url": null
    }
   ]
  }
 ]
}