Asked & Answered

Q: Our Unified School District is always walking a very fine line when it comes to the Brown Act. At the last Board of Trustees meeting, the superintendent stated, and three trustees confirmed, that the district has come up with a plan to tackle the multimillion-dollar shortfall it’s expecting for the next school year. The superintendent said the board discussed this in closed session “under the guise of labor negotiations.” The problem is, they haven’t entered

Q: My company and I are being sued for defamation at state court in Miami, Florida. In discovery, the plaintiff has requested all emails between me and others that mention his name. As a reporter, am I protected by law from having to turn over such information? A: Florida does have a statutory newsgathering privilege for “professional journalists” (a reporter’s shield law) that protects journalists from being compelled to be witnesses or disclosing information obtained

Q: I would like to know if the footage captured by body cameras and their recording devices a public record? A: The anticipated rise in use of body cameras by police does indeed mean there will also be an increase in “records” that could be subject to open records laws in various states. In many states, police investigatory records are subject to public records laws, which means, presumptively, body camera footage would be subject to disclosure unless some

Q: Recently I learned our City Manager approved the implementation of a significant change to a public fee-paid service without presenting it for a city council review or approval, thus also without ever notifying the affected public as a whole or the media of the change. Impacted residents were individually notified to comply with the change only when their turn came up in a multi-year implementation plan. As his authority for doing so, the CM cites

Q: It seems like neither the Brown Act nor Bagley-Keene applies to the CA legislature. What law governs the process through which the CA legislature, including committees, considers laws and informs the public of opportunity to comment at hearings. And are there laws that prevent a committee for adding a last-minute amendment (without notice) to a bill that has little connection to the original bill? A: You are correct that neither the Brown Act nor Bagley-Keen