FAC

A&A: Despite New Laws, My Request for Police Body Camera Footage Has Been Repeatedly Denied

Q: In light of SB 1421 and AB 748, I submitted a request to the city and the police department for the body camera footage and internal affairs investigation report of an incident that happened at my home involving the discharge of a firearm at a person (me) by a peace officer and the use of extreme excessive force. My requests were denied by both the city and the police department. I have been told

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A&A: I was stopped from taking photos of court records with my phone to save costs. What can I do?

Q: Recently the organization I work for had submitted and received a Public Records Act Request of all individuals who had been charged with gang enhancements. However, there is specific information we also need but must pull the Superior Court case file to obtain such as: age, race, location, etc. These documents are electronic so we are unable to use our scanner to make copies without incurring costs. The only other way of obtaining these

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2020 Impact Report

Breaking through barriers to information. Standing up for free speech and a free press. Helping you access democracy. How your support made a difference in 2020.

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FAC Writes in Support of Reporter Disparaged By Elected Official Following Public Records Request

The First Amendment Coalition and the Institute for Media and Public Trust of Fresno State today called on a California public official to apologize for insulting a reporter and to take seriously his obligations under open-government laws. The letter to Tom Wheeler, a member of the Madera County Board of Supervisors, comes after Wheeler responded to a reporter’s public records request with, “To hell with her” followed by an insult. Wheeler’s email, documented in an

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A&A: How can I Access Information On a Parolee in California

Q: I’m trying to find out how to access a record from the parole office to determine the date a certain parolee absconded. Can you help? Is there a sample letter for making a request? A: While I did not locate any law directly addressing the California Public Records Act and specific details within parole records (such as date of absconsion), the presumption is that records held by government agencies are subject to disclosure under

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