State ex rel. Castellon v. Maloney

**What Happened** Castellon requested public records from a police department, specifically wanting a more detailed chain-of-custody record and iPhone data in a readable format. When the department didn't provide what Castellon wanted, they filed a legal action called mandamus to force the department to turn over the records. Castellon also asked for money damages, court costs, and attorney's fees. **What the Court Decided** The court sided with the police department. The judge found that Castellon failed to prove with clear and convincing evidence that a more extensive chain-of-custody record actually existed or that the department was required to provide iPhone data in human-readable format. The court denied Castellon's request to force the department to produce additional records and also denied their requests for money, court costs, and attorney's fees. **Why This Matters for Workers** This case shows that when requesting public records from government employers, workers need strong evidence that specific records exist and that the employer has a legal duty to provide them in a particular format. Simply demanding records isn't enough—you must prove the employer actually has what you're requesting and is legally required to provide it in the format you want.