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Should Congress create a public’s right to appeal secret FISA court rulings?

FAC July 26, 2013

A former judge on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court suggests a mechanism to allow appeals of secret court proceedings while still safeguarding national security. In a New York Times op-ed column, senior federal judge James G. Carr advocates appointment of “independent lawyers with security clearances to serve ‘pro bono publico’ — for the public’s good — to challenge the government when an application for a FISA order raises new legal issues.” Full story

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A&A: Charter schools and the CPRA

FAC July 26, 2013

Q: I submitted a CPRA to the Charter School my child attends. I attached a table of 36 sets of board meeting minutes that were either completely missing from the school’s webpage, or were incomplete draft versions. These missing minutes span three years. The minutes that are missing surround major events that took place such as controversial board member resignations, votes to amend bylaws, votes that involved irregular activities and potential conflicts of interest and self-dealing.

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A&A: Why did one county deny a PRA request that most others quickly fulfill?

FAC July 25, 2013

Q: I am trying to request information on a backflow test device report forms from each city in the county. Many cities have already complied however a few are citing the code 6254.16 in the CPRA because the backflow device usually has a meter connected and is over seen by the water or public works department in each city. My understanding of section 6254.16 is exempting personal home addresses and phone numbers. The forms I

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Climate change on trial in a defamation case

FAC July 24, 2013

COMMENTARY BY JEAN-PAUL JASSY/ A modern-day Scopes Monkey Trial is unfolding in a District of Columbia defamation case. In 1925, two of the most famous lawyers of the time, Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan, argued over whether John T. Scopes should have been prosecuted for teaching evolution in public school. Scopes was convicted and fined $100, although the conviction was later overturned on a technicality. Now, Pennsylvania State University climatology professor Michael Mann, a

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Court Requires Disclosure of Unredacted Pepper Spray Reports

FAC July 24, 2013

On Tuesday, July 23, the Los Angeles Times and the Sacramento Bee won a significant government transparency victory. In Federated University Police Officers Association v. Superior Court, a California Court of Appeal commanded disclosure of complete and unreacted versions of two reports detailing a now-infamous pepper spray incident at U.C. Davis. The reports review facts leading up to the incident, draw conclusions regarding responsibility for the incident, and make policy recommendations to avoid similar incidents

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