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donal brown

California: Open meeting violations suspected in firing of Sonoma County ag commissioner

donal brown March 24, 2011

Questions have arisen about the firing of the Sonoma County Agricultural Commissioner after it finally surfaced that she was fired by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. The supervisors could legally decide personnel matters in closed session but under the Brown Act, California’s open meeting law, were obliged to announce their actions promptly. The supervisors apparently made the decision on March 2 and sent the commissioner a notification of the decision with the reasons she

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Ninth Circuit refuses to reconsider ruling on ‘Stolen Valor’

donal brown March 22, 2011

A divided Nincth Circuit Court denied en banc rehearing on a decision striking down the Stolen Valor Act in the case of a man who had claimed falsely that he had served 29 years in the Marine Corps and was awarded the Medal of Honor. The dissenters said that there were Supreme Court precedents denying free speech protection to false statements, but Chief Judge Alex Kozinski defended the ruling, “Without the robust protections of the

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Bikers sue ex-district attorney for slander

donal brown March 21, 2011

The Vagos Motorcycle Club alleges that the ex-Riverside district attorney called them “a criminal organization” of “cockroaches” and “terrorists”and tried to blame them for attacks on the City of Hemet police department and government buildings. The Vagos club sued for defamation, claiming that in subsequent raids against criminal targets on March 17, no one of the 100 arrested were members of the club. -db From the Courthouse News Service, March 21, 2011, by Dee Moore.

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California: Woodland accused of violating open meeting act in refusing to say why it wants to buy parcel

donal brown March 21, 2011

In the Woodland Record, reporter Dino Gay alleged that the Woodland City Council violated California’s open meeting law, the Brown Act, by discussing their intent to buy a 22-acre parcel of land in a closed session with “no disclosure of purpose.” Gay wrote, “The real estate exception in the California Brown Act narrowly and strictly defines what can be discussed in closed session. The exception is limited “to grant authority to its negotiator regarding the

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California: Arcata design review member resigns after alleging open meeting violation

donal brown March 21, 2011

After alleging that the Arcata Planning Commission violated California’s open meeting law, the Brown Act, an Arcata design review commissioner resigned. Commissioner Marc Delaney said when he attempted to speak during the public comment session on an application to demolish a church building, the planning commission chair said it had already decided the issue in denying the application and asked Delany to sit down. The design review board chair said it was “inappropriate” for a

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