What rights do I have regarding 911 calls placed from my address?

[Lenny Majuwitz]

Jurisdiction

Texas

Texas resident here. I have had to call 911 to have an ambulance dispatched to my home. Without getting into too much detail, I placed the call, gave my name and address, and discussed use of illegal substances over the phone to the operator. Due to the nature of the call, I do not want it to become problematic should someone choose to look into it.
I have researched, (albeit not so greatly) the issue and have learned that all 911 calls are public record. What rights do I have regarding protection against this call being released? Could anyone request the call to be released with just an address? Additionally, what information can be used against me in a background check, such as that of an employer or federal background checks?

Please note: I have received care, and I am doing better. I do not have substance abuse issues, and I wish to get past this.

Thank you

 

[army judge]

What rights do I have regarding protection against this call being released?

None

Could anyone request the call to be released with just an address?

Probably

Additionally, what information can be used against me in a background check, such as that of an employer or federal background checks?

Most anything, but each employer has their unique policies and procedures.

You do yourself further disservice by asking about this via the internet.

It is up to you to protect your privacy by talking only to your lawyer.

 

[zddoodah]

I have researched, (albeit not so greatly) the issue and have learned that all 911 calls are public record.

Can you cite a source for this? It would be best if that source relates expressly to your locality or at least your state.

What rights do I have regarding protection against this call being released?

"Rights"? Probably none. However, you could file a lawsuit and seek an injunction.

Could anyone request the call to be released with just an address?

Anyone "could request" anything.

Additionally, what information can be used against me in a background check, such as that of an employer or federal background checks?

I don't really understand the question, but any information can be used against you.

 

[mightymoose]

If you said something potentially incriminating during a 911 call and it has not already been addressed, it is unlikely to be.
Nobody is going to go back and listen to recordings in hope of finding crimes to prosecute.

At the time of the incident your comments certainly could have been relayed to law enforcement and investigated. It is not private information between you and the dispatcher.

 

[Tax Counsel]

Can you cite a source for this? It would be best if that source relates expressly to your locality or at least your state.

It appears that under the Texas open records law known as the Public Information Act (PIA) that in general all of the content of a 911 call are subject to disclosure upon request except that in cities of less than 2 million people the originating phone number and address for the call are protected from disclosure. The Texas Attorney General's Office has a very detailed PIA publication that includes a discussion of the protection for 911 calls on page 99.

 

[cbg]

I don't think there are an awful lot of people out there who are asking for 911 calls to be released to them just for kicks and jollies. What makes you think anyone is interested in your 911 calls?

 

[Lenny Majuwitz]

If you said something potentially incriminating during a 911 call and it has not already been addressed, it is unlikely to be.
Nobody is going to go back and listen to recordings in hope of finding crimes to prosecute.

At the time of the incident your comments certainly could have been relayed to law enforcement and investigated. It is not private information between you and the dispatcher.

I am not worried about a police investigation or the like. My main concern is the content of the call that can be used against me, say in a background check. As a previous poster to this thread pointed out, anything I said could be used against me.

 

[Lenny Majuwitz]

I don't think there are an awful lot of people out there who are asking for 911 calls to be released to them just for kicks and jollies. What makes you think anyone is interested in your 911 calls?

My main concern is anyone who may want to profile me.
Let's say, home owners insurance companies who can request 911 calls related to my address and determine or raise rates due to the call?
Or perhaps a federal background check to determine if I am eligible to obtain a CHL or purchase a firearm?
This call included mention of an illegal drug. However, I have no abuse problems nor partake in such activities.

 

[zddoodah]

I am not worried about a police investigation or the like. My main concern is the content of the call that can be used against me, say in a background check.

Let's say, home owners insurance companies who can request 911 calls related to my address and determine or raise rates due to the call?
Or perhaps a federal background check to determine if I am eligible to obtain a CHL or purchase a firearm?

I don't know what a CHL is, but the likelihood of anyone digging around for possible 911 calls in connection with any background check is beyond remote (maybe if you were applying for some high level federal security clearance, but that's about it), and there's zero chance of any insurance company doing it as part of the process of underwriting any sort of normal consumer insurance product.

 

[cbg]

My main concern is anyone who may want to profile me.
Let's say, home owners insurance companies who can request 911 calls related to my address and determine or raise rates due to the call?
Or perhaps a federal background check to determine if I am eligible to obtain a CHL or purchase a firearm?
This call included mention of an illegal drug. However, I have no abuse problems nor partake in such activities.

You are SERIOUSLY overthinking this. You really think home owner's insurance companies have the time to go rooting around in 911 calls JUST IN CASE they might find a call made by a homeowner?

 

[army judge]

Or perhaps a federal background check to determine if I am eligible to obtain a CHL or purchase a firearm?

The federal government doesn't issue concealed carry licenses, that remains within the purview of the various states and territories.

You are correct to state that the federal government manages the background check to purchase a firearm.

Federal law bans those who have been convicted of certain crimes from possessing firearms.

• 
  Among the crimes that can cause your purchase of a firearm to be denied are:
  
  ALL felonies and even misdemeanor domestic violence offenses.
  
  Federal law prohibits those subject to domestic violence restraining orders from possessing a firearm.
  
  The following can also inhibit a person from being allowed to purchase a firearm:
  
  Convicted of (or under indictment for, a crime punishable by imprisonment for more than one year)
  
  Being a fugitive from justice
  
  If you are an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substances
  
  If you are under the specified age for the purchase
  
  If you have renounced your U.S. citizenship
  

The law would also hamper your plans to purchase a firearm:
If you are subject to a court order restraining you from harassing, stalking or threatening an intimate partner, his or her child or a child of a partner, or engaging in other conduct that would place an intimate partner in reasonable fear of bodily injury to the partner or her/his child(ren).

 

[cynthiag]

Speaking as someone who performs employment background checks, all we look at are actual convictions. We, or the third party we engage to do our criminal background checks, certainly wouldn't take the time to dig around and see if we could find 911 calls from the individual that might possibly contain something that perhaps could be considered incriminating. Without an actual conviction, anything we might find would be meaningless, were we so inclined to waste our time going through 911 records.

I agree with cbg - you are WAY overthinking this.

 

[flyingron]

Note the FEDS manage "a background check" not "the background check." Some of the states manage their own and the federal law allows an exception for this.

 

[Highwayman]

Hopefully that's not your real name you're posting under, or you've given the bad people out to get you a good head start.