The California Supreme Court let stand an appellate court ruling that police arrest videos are public record and could not be considered private officer personnel records. The court settled a dispute between the North Coast Journal and the city of Eureka over access to a video of an arrest of a 14-year-old that led to charges of excessive force against one of the arresting officers. (North Coast Journal, October 27, 2016, by Thadeus Greenson)
Eureka could now appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. A lawyer for the North Coast Journal said there was no public benefit in spending money on a lawsuit to block the public from knowing the details of possible police misconduct. If there is no appeal the California Supreme Court would make sure the video is properly edited before releasing it to the Journal. (Eureka Times-Standard, October 27, 2016, by Will Houston)