13-Month FOIA Delay Heads to Michigan Supreme Court
The state’s highest court will consider whether Grand Rapids violated public records law by taking over a year to respond to FOIA requests.
The Michigan Supreme Court will hear arguments on a FOIA lawsuit against the City of Grand Rapids. Filed by the ACLU, the case challenges GRPD’s 13-month response time, amid rising request volumes. The outcome could affect government transparency and FOIA compliance in Michigan.
The Michigan Supreme Court will decide if Grand Rapids broke FOIA law. In 2023, the ACLU filed a lawsuit claiming the city took 13 months to fulfill a public records request from GRPD. This case could reshape how local governments handle transparency in Grand Rapids.
FOIA requests to GRPD have surged—1,187 in 2018 to 2,230 in 2022. The city says it processes requests in order and isn't arbitrary, but the ACLU argues a 10-month wait is unreasonable. The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled against the ACLU in December 2025, but now the Supreme Court is reviewing that decision.
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For residents, this matters because it affects access to city information. The key issue is interpreting "reasonable opportunity" under FOIA, which has no set deadline. Oral arguments are likely in 2027, though no date is confirmed yet. This case highlights the growing demand for public records and the need for efficient government response.
