charged with because that is what it exists to do regardless of how the “agency investigating” Coroner acquired the position. One federal court has confirmed that a office should be viewed as an coroner’s “agency charged with under PAIMI. In Wisconsin Coal. For Advocacy, Inc. v. Busby, investigating” Case No. 02-C-871 *12 (E.D. Wis. September 24, 2003), the Winnebago County coroner refused for three months to comply with the request for records, claiming the documents were not P&A’s under PAIMI. The district court disagreed, holding that office is an Id. “records” “A coroner’s agency charged with investigating deaths (certainly a form of injury), . . . its investigatory .” so records within the P&A system access at 12-13. Id. “fall authority.” The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals rejected an to split hairs agency’s similar attempt with the meaning of charged with in order to avoid producing records “agency investigating” under PAIMI. 463 F.3d 719, 726-27 (7th Cir. Disability Rights Wisconsin, Inc. v. Wisconsin, 2006). In the court found that it was the that the Disability Rights Wisconsin, “beside point” agency at issue was not with investigating reports of abuse or neglect because the “charged” agency in fact investigate complaints of potential abuse or The court found Id. “did neglect.” that preventing the P&A from obtaining information it needed to investigate the basis that “on DPI did something it was not required to would frustrate the goals of the P&A system. Id. do” Congress Intended that the PAIMI Act Apply to Administrative Divisions of Government Such as the Coroner. Congress clearly intended that PAIMI apply to state and local governmental entities. The PAIMI legislative history indicates that the term refers to State, county, or “agency” “any agency charged with the responsibility of investigating incidents of abuse and neglect municipal in public residential facilities for the treatment of mentally ill individuals.” S. 2393, 100th Cong., 134 Cong. Rec. S14450-03, 1988 WL 180662; S.2393, 100th Cong., 134 Cong. Rec.
“agency charged with investigating” because that is what it exists to do regardless of how the Coroner acquired the position. One federal court has confirmed that a coroner’s office should be viewed as an “agency charged with investigating” under PAIMI. In Wisconsin Coal. For Advocacy, Inc. v. Busby, Case No. 02-C-871 *12 (E.D. Wis. September 24, 2003), the Winnebago County coroner refused for three months to comply with the P&A’s request for records, claiming the documents were not “records” under PAIMI. Id. The district court disagreed, holding that “A coroner’s office is an agency charged with investigating deaths (certainly a form of injury), . . . .” so its investigatory records “fall within the P&A system access authority.” Id. at 12-13. The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals rejected an agency’s similar attempt to split hairs with the meaning of “agency charged with investigating” in order to avoid producing records under PAIMI. Disability Rights Wisconsin, Inc. v. Wisconsin, 463 F.3d 719, 726-27 (7th Cir. 2006). In Disability Rights Wisconsin, the court found that it was “beside the point” that the agency at issue was not “charged” with investigating reports of abuse or neglect because the agency “did in fact investigate complaints of potential abuse or neglect.” Id. The court found that preventing the P&A from obtaining information it needed to investigate “on the basis that DPI did something it was not required to do” would frustrate the goals of the P&A system. Id. Congress Intended that the PAIMI Act Apply to Administrative Divisions of Government Such as the Coroner. Congress clearly intended that PAIMI apply to state and local governmental entities. The PAIMI legislative history indicates that the term “agency” refers to “any State, county, or municipal agency charged with the responsibility of investigating incidents of abuse and neglect in public residential facilities for the treatment of mentally ill individuals.” S. 2393, 100th Cong., 134 Cong. Rec. S14450-03, 1988 WL 180662; S.2393, 100th Cong., 134 Cong. Rec.
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