autopsy report Aaliyah Newell

The Office of the President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners is in receipt of your request for information under the Freedom of Information Act (the "Act"). Your request has been received in this office on 3/27/2022 and given the reference number R001414-032722 for tracking purposes. Records Requested: To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act., I hereby request the following records:

The complete autopsy report that was conducted on Aaliyah Newell on or around March 24, 2022.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 5 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Jason Palmer

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/
Your request will be forwarded to the relevant department(s) to locate the information you seek and to determine the volume and any costs associated with satisfying your request. You will be contacted about the availability and/or provided with copies of the records in question.
You can monitor the progress of your request at the link below and you'll receive an email when your request has been completed.
Thank you,
Rachel

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April 04, 2022
RE: FOIA # R001414-032722
Dear Mr. Palmer,
The Office of the President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners is in receipt of your request for information under the Freedom of Information Act (the "Act"). On March 27, 2022, we received your request for the following:

The complete autopsy report that was conducted on Aaliyah Newell on or around March 24, 2022.

Please be advised that the above-referenced case has not yet been finalized and sent to the Medical Records Department. As such, we are unable to provide you with the requested information at this time. We will contact you as soon as the records are available.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you,
Rachel



Rachel Dailey
Administrative Assistant V & FOIA Officer
Office of the President
(O) 312-603-0002
Rachel.Dailey@cookcountyil.gov

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July 14, 2022
RE: FOIA # R001414-032722
Dear Mr. Palmer,
The Office of the President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners is in receipt of your request for information under the Freedom of Information Act (the "Act").
On March 27, 2022, we received your request for the following:
To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act., I hereby request the following records:

The complete autopsy report that was conducted on Aaliyah Newell on or around March 24, 2022.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 5 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Jason Palmer
Please be advised that the above referenced case has now been finalized and we are in possession of the following records responsive to your request:

* Autopsy Report
* Toxicology Report
Section 6(b) of the Act states [e]xcept when a fee is otherwise fixed by statute, each public body may charge fees reasonably calculated to reimburse its actual cost for reproducing and certifying public records and for the use, by any person, of the equipment of the public body to copy records.  No fees shall be charged for the first 50 pages of black and white, letter or legal sized copies requested by a requester.  The fee for black and white, letter or legal sized copies shall not exceed 15 cents per page.
5 ILCS 140/6(b) (emphasis added).  The fees for copies of records prepared by the Office of the Medical Examiner are set forth by both state statute and county ordinance.
Section 4-7001 of the Counties Code authorizes the county to charge the following fees:
* For a copy of a transcript of sworn testimony: $5.00 per page.
* For a copy of an autopsy report (if not included in transcript); $50.00.
* For a copy of the verdict of a coroner's jury: $5.00.
* For a copy of a toxicology report: $25.00.
* For a print of or an electronic files containing a picture obtained by the coroner: actual cost or $3.00, whichever is greater.
* For each copy of miscellaneous reports, including artist's drawings but not including police reports: actual cost or $25.00, whichever is greater.
* For a coroner's or medical examiner's permit to cremate a dead human body: $50.00.
55 ILCS 5/4-7001.  Pursuant to this section of the Counties Code, the Cook County Board of Commissioners enacted sections 38-144 and 32-1 of the Cook County Code of Ordinances.
Section 38-144 of the Code authorizes the county to charge fees for copies of autopsy reports, toxicology reports and miscellaneous reports, with the fees set in section 32-1.  Section 32-1 mirrors section 4-7001 of the Counties Code, authorizing the county to charge $50.00 for copies of autopsy reports and $25.00 for copies of toxicology and miscellaneous reports.  Neither the Counties Code nor our ordinance contain a fee waiver/reduction provision.
Thus, pursuant to state statute and county ordinance, the total fee for copies of Medical Examiner reports in our possession is $75.00.
If you wish to purchase copies of the records, please note that we do not accept cash. Only credit cards, checks or money orders made out to the Cook County Comptroller. If you wish to purchase records, please let me know and I will send additional instructions. In the event you do not wish to purchase copies, we will make the records available for you to review.  Please contact me to schedule a time that is convenient for you.  Please note that neither the state statute nor the county ordinance permit individuals to take any photographs of the records during inspection.
Thank you,
Antonio
Antonio Favela
Assistant Special Legal Counsel & FOIA Officer
Office of the President
(O) 312-603-0002
antonio.favela@cookcountyil.gov

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July 15, 2022
RE: FOIA # R001414-032722
Dear Mr. Palmer,You can pay with your credit card via the following link. https://payments.lexisnexis.com/co/cook/foiaoup
Thank you,
Antonio
Antonio Favela
Assistant Special Legal Counsel & FOIA Officer
Office of the President
(O) 312-603-0002
Antonio.favela@cookcountyil.gov

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July 20, 2022
RE: FOIA # R001414-032722
Dear Mr. Palmer,
The Office of the President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners is in receipt of your request for information under the Freedom of Information Act (the "Act").
On March 27, 2022, we received your request for the following:
To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act., I hereby request the following records:
The complete autopsy report that was conducted on Aaliyah Newell on or around March 24, 2022.
The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.
In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.
Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 5 business days, as the statute requires.
Payment has been received for the requested Medical Examiner documents. Records responsive to your request are available for you to download online at the following link. Please be advised that home addresses, personal telephone numbers and biometric identifiers have been redacted, pursuant to sections 7(1)(b) and 2(c-5) of the Act. 5 ILCS 140/7(1)(b); 2(c-5).
Pursuant to section 9 of the Act, please note that the undersigned is responsible for this partial denial.  You have a right to have the denial of your request reviewed by the Public Access Counselor (PAC) at the Office of the Illinois Attorney General.  5 ILCS 140/9.5(a).  You can file your Request for Review with the PAC by writing to: FOIA Request - R001414-032722
Public Access Counselor
Office of the Attorney General
500 South 2nd Street
Springfield, Illinois 62706
Fax: (217) 782-1396
E-mail: publicaccess@atg.state.il.us
You also have the right to seek judicial review of your denial by filing a lawsuit in the State circuit court. 5 ILCS 140/11.

If you choose to file a Request for Review with the PAC, you must do so within 60 calendar days of the date of this denial letter.  5 ILCS 140/9.5(a).  Please note that you must include hard copies of your original FOIA requests and this denial letter when filing a Request for Review with the PAC.
Thank you,Antonio
Antonio Favela
Assistant Special Legal Counsel & FOIA Officer
Office of the President
(O) 312-603-8268
antonio.favela@cookcountyil.gov