Our IT guy came to me in a "controlled panic" inquiring about some "federal discovery law" that might require the county to archive all its email traffic in case of a feared federal suit where email communications may be relevant evidence. The local TSTC campus got in dutch with a federal district judge over not producing volumes of email requested in a civil suit. I'm inclined to think the school voluntarily archived its email, in other words it admitted it had it, but didn't produce it. I never heard of such an animal, and a quick search of this forum did not reveal any discussion of it. Is that because the IT guy got bad info?

There was some coverage on that a couple months back, I think. I think it is pretty strict. For that matter, State law requires govt. agencies to save email like paper records.

We don't have a central server or computer system in the courthouse; each office stands alone. Supposedly, each office has filed a records management plan with the library system - can't that include e-mail retention policies so that they don't have to be held forever?

Lisa L. Peterson
Nolan County Attorney

Good heavens, John, can you give me a cite on that? This might send our IT department over the edge!

Basically, I think you are supposed to retain email for as long as you are supposed to retain paper records on a similar subject. Here are some resources:

From the Texas State Library:

Model Email Policy for State Agencies

Local Retention Schedule GR

From Local Retention Schedule GR:

1000-26 Correspondence and Internal Memoranda (includes incoming and copies of outgoing correspondence and internal correspondence and memoranda).


Retention Note: The minimum retention period for correspondence or internal memoranda in categories (a) and (b) directly linked to another record series or group listed in this or other commission schedules is that assigned to the other group or series. For example, a letter from an external auditor regarding an audit of a local government's financial records should be retained for the retention period given under item number 1025-01(e); a letter concerning a workers compensation claim should be retained for the period given under item number 1050-32, etc. The retention periods that follow are for correspondence and internal memoranda that do not readily fall within other record groups.

a) Policy and program development - Correspondence and internal memoranda pertaining to the formulation, planning, implementation, modification, or redefinition of the policies, programs, services, or projects of a local government. RETENTION: 5 years.


Retention Note: Review before disposal; some correspondence of this type may merit permanent retention for historical reasons.

b) Administrative - Correspondence and internal memoranda pertaining to or arising from the routine administration or operation of the policies, programs, services, and projects of a local government. RETENTION: 2 years.

c) Routine - Correspondence and internal memoranda such as letters of transmittal, requests for publications, internal meeting notices, and similar routine matters. RETENTION: AV. (Exempt from destruction request requirement)

Thanks, John, I've got the IT guy sifting through the materials too so we can put our heads together later.
Lisa, you may not be aware of this, but there are some of us longing for pre-network days.
Have computers actually made our lives easier?
Thanks again,
Al
(Not really a budding Luddite)
Davis

You can contact Texas State Library for more information on records retention stuff. They have been helpful to me in the past.

www.tsl.state.tx.us

[This message was edited by JohnR on 02-08-07 at .]