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Asked & Answered

A&A: Do trade publications have same speech protections as other journalists?

FAC September 28, 2011

Q: My company owns a website and private news source for a trade Industry. We are having concerns about our First Amendment protections. The website and news company is a business operation of our parent company. I would like to inquire about whether our direct ownership of the site conflicts with any First Amendment or journalism laws. For example, are we not protected by the same rights because the site is not an official news

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A&A:Public comment vs. speaking on agenda item

FAC September 27, 2011

Q: I sit on a local municipal advisory committee and some time ago we added a standing item to our agendas entitled “Committee Reports” so that council members who sit on these committees or work groups can report out. There are four such reports listed at the end of our agenda. At the beginning of the meeting under Public Comment, I (as the chair) had a speaker card which listed the Item and the subject

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A&A: Can I reqest public staff time cards?

FAC September 26, 2011

Q: My community has a special water district. There is a manager and a five-person elected board. Would the manager’s time-card be public information? Also, the board has not approved the minutes for months. Is there a time limit to approve minutes from meetings? A: Under the California Public Records Act, public records, including “any writing containing information relating to the conduct of the public’s business prepared, owned, used, or retained by any state or

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A&A: Request for police surveillance records met with 90-day delay

FAC September 15, 2011

Q: Our watchdog organization submitted a PRA request on three months ago for copies of audio and visual surveillance recordings made during a political demonstration. Within 10 days we received a response saying that we would get all ”releasable” items within 90 days. I have twice called, and left messages for the officer who responded to this request, with no response from him. Simply, 90 days being much more than the time allowed by law,

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A&A: Am I allowed to make my own copies instead of paying the agency fees?

FAC September 14, 2011

Q: A local government agency has allowed me to inspect public records per a PRA request, but refuses to allow me to make copies at my own expense. Instead they maintain the position that my rights end at inspection and I would need to pay them to make any copies. Are you aware of any case(s) or statute(s) which support this position? A: With respect to copies, the Public Records Act, at Govt. Code section

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