firstamendment

Special District Compliance

Special District Compliance Q: Which State Agency and/or which State Department oversees, enforce, and/or investigate Special District compliance with California Government Codes:  Mitigation Fess (Sections 66000), Brown Act and Public Records Act? A: Although special districts must comply with the Brown Act and Public Records Act, I am not aware of any state agency or department that oversees, enforces, or investigates such compliance.  Rights under the Brown Act and Public Records Act can be enforced

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Accessing Closed Court Records: Authoring Book

Accessing Closed Court Records: Authoring Book Q: I am an author working on a book on the history of “phone phreaking.”   (Phone phreaks were people who played with the telephone system — you can think of them as the precursors to today’s computer hackers.)  I am attempting to obtain a copy of a civil suit and supporting materials filed in Los Angeles Superior Court in 1975. I recently wrote to the clerk of the court

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Police Call and Arrest Logs

Police Call and Arrest Logs Q: What part of the Police call and/or arrest logs are publicly accessible under the PRA? Can only the victim see the arrest log? Can the name of the arrestee or callee be given to the public? If a City website keeps the call logs on the City web site for 7 days, and they fall off, does that mean they are no longer accessible? How long must these records

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Blocking Personal Information from Public View for Safety

Blocking Personal Information from Public View for Safety Q: How do I block access to my personal and government records from public because I am a victim of domestic violence and stalking and kidnapping? Does it require a court order to block my ssn record and tax and any other record pertaining to my personal information. A: If the disclosure of personal information about you would jeopardize your safety, that would likely be grounds for

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Educators’ Access to Student and Parent Complaints

Educators’ Access to Student and Parent Complaints Q: I am a public school educator.  When a parent and/or student makes a complaint (verbal or written), am I entitled to a copy of either the administration’s notes (if it was verbal) or the written complaint? A: The local school district administration should have procedures in place with respect to complaints by parents and students against teachers (see http://alpineschooldistrict.net/district/).  If the complaint was made pursuant to the

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