By Becky Bohrer The Associated Press AP

12:05 p.m. AKDT, October 12, 2012
JUNEAU, Alaska—

The Alaska Supreme Court has upheld a lower court decision that does not forbid use of private email accounts for state officials conducting state business.

The case stemmed from emails sent during then-Gov. Sarah Palin's administration. Palin and members of her administration used private emails to conduct state business. Activist Andree McLeod submitted a records request for all emails sent to or from the private accounts of Palin and her husband, and also sued, seeking to have each email declared a public record.

The lower court interpreted public records as state agency records preserved or appropriate for preservation under the records management act.

The high court agreed, saying not every record a state employee creates is appropriate for preservation under the act.