FAC

FAC Seeks to Unseal Gov. Brown’s Request to Pardon Embattled Former State Senator

Documents sought are currently barred from public view in the California Supreme Court The First Amendment Coalition (FAC) today filed a motion in the California Supreme Court to unseal records regarding Gov. Jerry Brown’s effort to pardon former state Sen. Rod Wright, who was convicted in 2014 on multiple felony counts, including perjury and voter fraud. The Wright records are just one example of several dozen recent cases where the Governor has sought to pardon

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A&A: CPRA Request Denied Citing “Invesitgatory Files” Exemption

Q:  I made a CPRA for the Complaint report filed against my mother’s daycare. The allegations were completely false and I have a report from the Dept. of Social Services stating the allegations are false and she has been completely cleared. The PRA Attorney for Dept of Social services has denied my request because of Gov Code Section 6254(F) and (C), he keeps citing “investigatory or security file.” I have stated that the allegations have

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A&A: Can Employment Records & Dismissal Be Presented in City Council Open Session?

Q: Recently a local City Counsel meeting was to be held as an open session to hear non-adopt arguments with regard to a proposed Administrative Law Judge’s (ALJ) decision to fully reinstate employment of a firefighter. My husband never received notice of the open session (hearing). Also, on the agenda it listed his full name and that at this open session there would not be any public comment allowed regarding what was being heard. Is this

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A&A: What Are the Rights and Restrictions of Photo-Journalists Covering Wildfires?

Q: Our newspaper’s staff photographer took photos/video of of flames engulfing a home during a massive fire in Northern California. Some of the photos were from a property that a nearby resident told him it would be okay to be on. Some were from the property of the home that was burning. The residents of the engulfed home are requesting I take down the photos. I tried to talk through this with them, but they are

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FAC and Local Community Group Sue San Jose Over Secret Negotiations With Google

The First Amendment Coalition (FAC), joined by Working Partnerships USA (WPUSA), sued the city of San Jose to force the disclosure of secret details of its negotiations to sell valuable public land to Google. The suit, filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court, seeks records under the California Public Records Act (CPRA) relating to the planned development of a massive new Google campus on city-owned property, including records about the city’s use of nondisclosure agreements

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