firstamendment

Dairy Plant Inspection Records Q: I would like to see inspection records of dairy plants through the CA Dept of Food and Agriculture.  However, I’ve been told by the state office and regional office that I CANNOT FOIA these records.  I understand that some info may be exempted, but I think I should be allowed to see at least some parts of the records. Has your organization had any experience in requesting such records?  If

Suspension and Expulsion Records Q: Can I request the suspension and expulsion records for a school district  for, say the previous three years? I do not wish to obtain any personal information (“directory information”) on the student, but rather to compare suspension and expulsion records between students. A: The law regarding disclosure of student disciplinary records has engendered some controversy in past years, including with respect to whether the federal FERPA (Family Education Rights and

Charging for Electronic Records Q: A local hospital district claims it is “required” to charge me for access to inspect records that they claim are only available in electronic form.  They have demanded a deposit of hundreds of dollars and my agreement to pay them whatever they determine the actual cost to be.  When you consider that more and more government agencies, like businesses, are going paperless, this will become a major problem unless it’s