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Notably, several agencies originally named in the complaint—including the Chandler Police Department and the Arizona Department of Health Services—were dismissed from the lawsuit. These agencies were dropped because they hadn’t filed formal responses, and, at least for now, the main defendants are the City of Chandler, Maricopa County, the County Attorney’s Office, and the County Medical Examiner.

The court also ordered that Kiser’s own written declaration—originally attached to the complaint in redacted form—be sealed, ensuring it will remain confidential unless the court orders otherwise.

The Law Behind Public Records in Arizona

Under Arizona law, police reports, 911 calls, and other investigative documents are classified as public records. The rationale is rooted in government transparency and accountability. However, the law also allows for redactions to protect victims, and courts can withhold records if releasing them would cause “substantial and irreparable private or public harm.”

The Kiser case brings this tension to the forefront. According to court filings, more than 100 public records requests have been submitted to both the City of Chandler and the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office. Kiser’s lawsuit alleges that many of these requests were made for “commercial purposes”—a characterization that, if proven, could weigh in the court’s balance, though Arizona’s Ombudsman states that requests for news reporting are not considered commercial by law.

The Arguments: Privacy vs. Public Interest

The Family’s Position

Kiser’s legal team argues that releasing the records—especially in their raw form—would only serve to deepen the family’s anguish, amplify online harassment, and potentially expose surviving family members (including her infant son) to further trauma. They cite the extraordinary pressures facing families in the public eye and suggest that media and private actors are exploiting the tragedy for clicks and commercial gain.

The Other Side

On the other hand, media organizations and open-government advocates point out that public records laws exist for a reason: to allow the public (including journalists) to scrutinize how police and public officials handle cases, especially those involving sudden or accidental deaths.

Public records advocates argue, that these type of records are necessary for the public to  hold officials accountable, even when the details are uncomfortable or tragic.

A National Conversation on Privacy and Public Records

Cases like Kiser’s are becoming more common in the age of viral news and online influencers. Families caught in the media glare—whether due to tragedy or controversy—often seek protection from the unrelenting gaze of both mainstream and social media.