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A&A: School board changed public comments without notice

FAC March 30, 2010

Q: Starting in January, the board of education of our unified school district has been systematically trying–and often succeeding–in suppressing or censoring public comments. For more years than I can count, the board has provided a democratic, albeit cumbersome, method of accommodating the public’s right to speak on  items not on the agenda. Speakers were called in the order in which their “yellow cards”  had been submitted to the clerk of the board. One hour

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A&A: Request for sheriff’s homeless policy leads to trouble

FAC March 29, 2010

Q: We requested from the sheriff department the following documents regarding homeless and/or transient people, people sleeping or camping outside, and/or people sitting on public sidewalks: Documents setting forth guidelines, policies, practices or standards used by the sheriff’s department regarding homeless and/or transient persons; Documents regarding and/or generatd by sheriff’s department in their publicly stated campaign to clean-up “illegal camping” sites which took place during three days in May; Records of communications on or since

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A&A: Is limiting a school board trustee’s comments legal?

FAC March 26, 2010

Q: I’m a public school district trustee and the board has tried to limit my comments during the meetings by preventing me from responding to Public Comments made during the “public comment period.”  I often will wish to express my agreement with the comment made or ask a follow-up question. Is the board violating my first amendment rights by refusing my positive comments or questions? A: As you may know, California’s Brown Act requires that

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A&A: Can police remove lawn sign protesting police brutality?

FAC March 26, 2010

Q: I have been retaliated against for complaining about a police officer beating and raping me. Many crimes were committed by cops in the cover-up, but I have been completely silenced. I put up a sign in my front yard and got an instant response by police. I need to know if they have any basis for objecting to it. A: As to your specific question about whether police could properly object to a sign

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A&A: City study taken off website after one day

FAC March 23, 2010

Q: An historic inventory and study that the city paid for was put on the city’s website for only a day and then taken off. I’ve asked city staff to provide me with a copy and was told that it’s an administrative draft and they’re not for public view. A: I think the first question is whether the inventory and study you are looking for is exempt from disclosure under California’s Public Records Act. As

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