The Illinois Freedom Of Information Act: Fill & Download for Free

All charges have not been dropped. They’ve been ‘dismissed’ in an arbitrary and likely illegal way by the office of Illinois State Attorney Kim Foxx.Kim Foxx’s office is under intense scrutiny from multiple groups, including the Illinois Bar Association and the Illinois Bar Prosecutors Association, as well as the FBI and the DOJ. Recent Freedom of Information Act requests revealed that shortly after making the decision to dismiss the charges without any reason, Kim Foxx and company were scrambling to find any precedent for the treatment Smollett received. They were unable to do so, as no such precedent exists.So will Hollywood welcome him back with open arms and overpaid roles in a TV show?They do so at their own peril.Smollett is not innocent by any stretch. Despite the lies he’s been spreading since Foxx’s ridiculous abuse of the law and her position, there is ample evidence that the whole thing is a hoax, and that he committed said hoax out of desire to get more money.It is quite possible that there is serious action coming against him in the future. And even though the NAACP seems ready to give him an image award for being a pathological liar (which speaks volumes of how poorly the NAACP thinks of the people it claims to represent), it is not likely to play well with the people of the United States.So, legal ramifications aside, it sounds like Smollett is just a huge problem hire for anyone and any organization. You don’t hire that kind of person; you treat them like they’re a cancer that needs to be excised.

Universities are subject to FOIA if they are public. Here is an example. I am working through this as well.Illinois Freedom of Information Act

A police officer would be bound by his/her local rules in terms of this question. It all depends and it always depends on where you are.As some answers have noted, it would be illegal in those countries for an officer to refuse to provide this information.In Illinois, there is no law requiring that an officer provide a case number to a potential or actual suspect. There may be agencies in Illinois which require this disclosure as a matter of policy.In the US, you could make a Freedom of Information Act request for any and all case files associated with your name, but FOIA specifically exempts active or current investigations from disclosure.Personally, I don't see much reason to refuse to disclose the information. If the officer is working in a system like Paul Harding describes, "I can't tell you" might even be misunderstood as, "I won't tell you."If you're concerned about the officer's refusal to provide the case number, I suggest calling a Command Officer at the police department. Explain your concern and ask if the officer followed your local laws and the department's policy regarding disclosure of the case number. That's the only way you'll know what is accepted practice in your area.