- Jurisdiction
- Virginia
Hi all I hope everyone is doing good today!
I placed a FOIA Request with a VA State Agency. I am working on a research project for a class and I am wanting to cite some information I have found in the FOIAs and submit them as supporting documents. I have had a great experience requesting records from everywhere except for this one agency. I have been a little obtuse. Because of the stigma that follows the type of people who usually file FOIAs. I have been worried about being associated with this. So I have been using a pseudo name. This hasn't been a issue with anywhere else but this one agency. The wanted my ID for the request. I apologized and declined and they responded that they can't process this with out my ID because they have to file a report on me and they have to verify that I am a state residence. I am no lawyer so I thought I would ask the wonderful experts hear not for legal advice but just there thoughts and understanding of FOIA in VA. My main questions are;
1) According to VA § 2.2-3704 "The custodian may require the requester to provide his name and legal address." My very amateur and not a lawyer understanding of this is they are allowed to ask for my name and my legal address. It does say they can require my legal name. So my thinking is a reasonable nickname or pseudo name like Paul Dewitt should be ok. I'm I correct in thinking this or am I way off base? I intended to include this experience in my finials paper. So any Cases, Laws, or Definitions that I could cite would be awesome.
2) Can a VA agency under the VA FOIA require my ID? I can't find anything in the act that says that they can do that so wouldn't that requirement be void because of this statement in this act? § 2.2-3700. Short title; policy. "Any ordinance adopted by a local governing body that conflicts with the provisions of this chapter shall be void." Again any help in correct anything that I am misunderstanding and any research resources you guys could share would be awesome.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and any help or guidance you can offer.
I placed a FOIA Request with a VA State Agency. I am working on a research project for a class and I am wanting to cite some information I have found in the FOIAs and submit them as supporting documents. I have had a great experience requesting records from everywhere except for this one agency. I have been a little obtuse. Because of the stigma that follows the type of people who usually file FOIAs. I have been worried about being associated with this. So I have been using a pseudo name. This hasn't been a issue with anywhere else but this one agency. The wanted my ID for the request. I apologized and declined and they responded that they can't process this with out my ID because they have to file a report on me and they have to verify that I am a state residence. I am no lawyer so I thought I would ask the wonderful experts hear not for legal advice but just there thoughts and understanding of FOIA in VA. My main questions are;
1) According to VA § 2.2-3704 "The custodian may require the requester to provide his name and legal address." My very amateur and not a lawyer understanding of this is they are allowed to ask for my name and my legal address. It does say they can require my legal name. So my thinking is a reasonable nickname or pseudo name like Paul Dewitt should be ok. I'm I correct in thinking this or am I way off base? I intended to include this experience in my finials paper. So any Cases, Laws, or Definitions that I could cite would be awesome.
2) Can a VA agency under the VA FOIA require my ID? I can't find anything in the act that says that they can do that so wouldn't that requirement be void because of this statement in this act? § 2.2-3700. Short title; policy. "Any ordinance adopted by a local governing body that conflicts with the provisions of this chapter shall be void." Again any help in correct anything that I am misunderstanding and any research resources you guys could share would be awesome.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and any help or guidance you can offer.