A Santa Clara County judge ruled that personal e-mail accounts and other electronic messages about city business had to be provided to the public under the state’s public records law. Open government advocates saw the ruling as a key advancement in closing a huge loophole in the California Public Records Act. (San Jose Mercury News, March 20, 2013, by John Woolfolk)
The ruling could have widespread effect in California as similar battles over access to government electronic communications wage across the country. The Associated Press said that 26 states consider the use of private e-mails for government business as part of the public record. (First Amendment Center, March 21 2013, by the Associated Press)
If appealed and affirmed the ruling would then acquire greater authority. (KPBS, March 21, 1013, by Amita Sharma) -db