Asked & Answered

Q: Can you please guide me on how to get police body-worn camera videos from a Florida law enforcement agency that have not been provided in response to a freedom of information act. Nor were they included in discovery for a criminal case. I believe there is damning evidence on the video of police misconduct, obstruction of justice, malicious prosecution et cetera. What are my options for obtaining video being withheld? Can I hire an attorney to subpoena the video? A: Unfortunately, we don’t have the resources through this service to provide you with an in-depth analysis of Florida’s Public

Q: A California city is holding city council meetings with the Property Owners Association (POA) in a POA building inside a gated community. The POA claims they will allow public access. However, the public would have to drive into the community and be stopped and questioned by a private POA security guard at the gates. Vehicle registration and a valid driver’s license are usually required. Is this a possible violation of the Brown Act?  A: The Brown Act specifically provides that members of the public do not have to sign in or provide personal information to attend a meeting of

Q: I was speaking during the public comment portion of a city council meeting on the topic of the California Fair Political Practices Commission Form 460. The Mayor stopped me three times during my three minutes of public comment and I repeatedly said that I was within my three minutes. I urged the city attorney determine whether the mayor was violating the California Brown Act and the 1st Amendment. I was ignored and felt like my 1st amendment freedom of speech had been violated. Please advise. A: Unfortunately, we cannot provide individual representation through this hotline. If you seek representation, we

Q: I would like to obtain a copy of my son’s disciplinary action while incarcerated in a California state prison. I have not been able to find anyone in the California Department of Corrections who is responsive to my need. Perhaps there exists some legal requirement for the Dept of Corrections to provide the documentation needed. Can you help? A: Under the California Public Records Act (CPRA), public records – which include “any writing containing information relating to the conduct of the public’s business prepared, owned, used, or retained by any state or local agency regardless of physical form or characteristics,” Cal. Gov’t Code

Q: Can a school board allow the public to record the meeting only from a certain designated area in the back of the room? Or can a person record from their seat outside the designated area if they are not disrupting the meeting at any time? A: Cal. Gov. Code § 54953.5 provides: “Any person attending an open and public meeting of a legislative body of a local agency shall have the right to record the proceedings with an audio or video recorder or a still or motion picture camera in the absence of a reasonable finding by the legislative

Q: I filed a public record request with three school districts. The documents requested would provide additional information and insight to aid a special education student with whom the districts are currently engaged in due-process hearings. I received an initial reply extending their reply for 15 days. In an effort of good faith, I did not protest the extension. Now I have received a second response, again extending their deadline for another month, past the date of the relevant hearing. This is not standard turnover for records, having filed with other districts on similar matters and I believe their extension