FOIA section 7.5(bb)

FOIA

Statutorily-confidential record set referenced via Sec. 7.5(bb)

5 ILCS 140/7.5(bb). Statutorily-confidential record set referenced via Sec. 7.5(bb)

See every document citing this provision →

6 issues across 6 determination letters:2 violation found · 4 no violation.

Counts are per issue, not per letter, and come from automated extraction checked against sampled letters. Determination letters are not binding precedent.

Authorities the Bureau cites most on this issue

NBC Subsidiary (WMAQ-TV) LLC v. Chicago Police Department, 2019 IL App (1st) 181426 cited 2 times
Police reports of an incident at a high school (Pub. Acc. Op. No. 23-010) cited 1 times
An accident report involving a minor passenger (Pub. Acc. Op. No. 18-016) cited 1 times
Investigatory records on a minor's shooting death (Pub. Acc. Op. No. 12-012) cited 1 times

How to challenge a denial on this issue

AI-generated summary of the decisions listed on this page, with each point linked to the letters it comes from. Determination letters are not binding precedent and this is not legal advice. Open the letter and check the PDF before relying on any point.

When a challenge is strong

Requester is the parent of the juvenile who is the subject of the records, seeking records about their own child. 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.Based on: 2021 · Police reports on juvenile suspec…
The records relate to a minor's traffic citation and the public body has not proven they are confidential juvenile law enforcement records. 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.Based on: 2019 · Police reports, video, body camer…

When the public body usually wins

Requester is the parent of a minor victim and the suspect is also a minor. The Juvenile Court Act prohibits disclosure of juvenile law enforcement records to a minor victim's parent when the suspect is a minor.Based on: n.d. · A police incident report involvin…
Requester is a member of the general public seeking juvenile law enforcement records (e.g., criminal history, investigation records). The Juvenile Court Act bars disclosure of juvenile law enforcement records to the general public, even with redactions, and this applies to deceased minors.Based on: n.d. · Juvenile criminal history records… · n.d. · Police school absentee reports on…
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. Such records are confidential juvenile law enforcement records and must be withheld in full, regardless of any adult involvement.Based on: n.d. · Police reports, body camera foota…

Points to put in your letter

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.Based on: 2021 · Police reports on juvenile suspec…
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.Based on: 2019 · Police reports, video, body camer…

Common mistakes

Assuming a parent of a minor victim can access juvenile law enforcement records when the suspect is also a minor.Based on: n.d. · A police incident report involvin… · 2021 · Police reports on juvenile suspec…
Thinking that confidentiality of juvenile law enforcement records ends upon the minor's death.Based on: n.d. · Juvenile criminal history records…
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).Based on: 2019 · Police reports, video, body camer…

Facts to gather first

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).

These patterns are drawn from non-binding determination letters and turn on specific facts; verify the PDFs for full context.

Drafting brief for an AI assistant

Copy this into your assistant to help draft a request, appeal, or challenge to a denial that turns on this issue. It carries the rules and decisions, not your facts: add those yourself. Machine-readable version: foia-7-5-bb.json.

TOPIC: 5 ILCS 140/7.5(bb) - Statutorily-confidential record set referenced via Sec. 7.5(bb)
SOURCE: Illinois Attorney General Public Access Bureau decisions compiled at https://illinoisfoia.org/issues/foia-7-5-bb/
NOTE: Determination letters are not binding precedent; they show how the Bureau applies the law. Verify every decision against the source PDF before citing it.

VIOLATION FOUND (2):
- Withholding entire incident report under JCA exemption
  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: Police reports on juvenile suspects at a golf course (non-binding determination letter, August 24, 2021) https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-66759/
- Denial of records under FOIA exemption 7.5(bb) and JCA confidentiality
  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: Police reports, video, body camera footage, and 9-1-1 calls about an accident (non-binding determination letter, August 20, 2019) https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-58028/

NO VIOLATION (4):
- Denial of juvenile criminal history records under FOIA
  Rule: The JCA prohibits disclosure of juvenile law enforcement records to the general public, even if redacted, and this applies to deceased minors.
  Decision: Juvenile criminal history records of a deceased individual (non-binding determination letter, January 8, 2025) https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-84605/
- CPD denial of School Absentee Reports under section 7.5(bb)
  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: Police school absentee reports on minors (non-binding determination letter, December 16, 2024) https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-83945/
- Withholding records under JCA confidentiality exemption
  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: Police reports, body camera footage, and dispatch calls involving a juvenile (non-binding determination letter, June 20, 2024) https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-78704/
- Denial of juvenile law enforcement report to victim's parent
  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: A police incident report involving a juvenile (non-binding determination letter, March 27, 2025) https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-75318/

MOST-CITED AUTHORITIES: NBC Subsidiary (WMAQ-TV) LLC v. Chicago Police Department, 2019 IL App (1st) 181426; Ill. Att'y Gen. Pub. Acc. Op. No. 23-010; Ill. Att'y Gen. Pub. Acc. Op. No. 18-016; Ill. Att'y Gen. Pub. Acc. Op. No. 12-012

TASK FOR THE ASSISTANT: Using only the decisions above, help draft a letter. Argue from the rule and cite the decision by name and date. Do not invent decisions.

Violation found (2)

Withholding entire incident report under JCA exemption
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.
Violation found Police reports on juvenile suspects at a golf course · August 24, 2021
Denial of records under FOIA exemption 7.5(bb) and JCA confidentiality
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.
Violation found Police reports, video, body camera footage, and 9-1-1 calls about an accident · August 20, 2019

No violation (4)

Denial of juvenile criminal history records under FOIA
Rule: The JCA prohibits disclosure of juvenile law enforcement records to the general public, even if redacted, and this applies to deceased minors.
No violation Juvenile criminal history records of a deceased individual · January 8, 2025
CPD denial of School Absentee Reports under section 7.5(bb)
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.
No violation Police school absentee reports on minors · December 16, 2024
Withholding records under JCA confidentiality exemption
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.
No violation Police reports, body camera footage, and dispatch calls involving a juvenile · June 20, 2024
Denial of juvenile law enforcement report to victim's parent
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.
No violation A police incident report involving a juvenile · March 27, 2025