Cities’ rights and the CPRA Q: My city of residence explains to me that THEIR version of the Public Records Act supersedes the state’s. The specific question I am asking is “who is the owner or a taxi cab company.” This, to me, is not a life threatening problem. Are they allowed to with hold this information? Second, I read the code as saying that every entity must have a posting of the law someplace
Boating Accidents and the CPRA Q: I am a marine insurance adjuster retained by a boater’s insurance company to investigate a serious boating accident that occurred in June of 06 near the Colorado River. A local sheriffs department investigated. The deputy found the boater in violation of three misdemeanor boating code violations and in his report which the county sent us a copy of he recommended referral to the DA’s office. The boater has never
Autopsies and CPRA Q: I need to verify the number of individuals in attendance at autopsies of CDC incarcerated persons in my county (for a parking/zoning issue). Are autopsy attendance records of prisoners open? How may they be obtained? I don\’t feel I can ask for this info from the local M.E. (politics). Is there another route? A: To the extent the identity of individuals who attend autopsies is reflected in written records, you may
Accessing police documents Q: I would like to know if the following document is covered under the California Public Records Act. The chief of police for the my local police department maintains a form, which list in a chart format, on a monthly basis, the number of citations issued, arrests made, etc. for the department. This form is made available at public meetings and to the board of directors of the local community services district
Length of time agencies must hold on the public records Q: Are there legal guidelines for the length of time Board meeting documents and recordings must be kept? A: Under Cal. Gov’t Code Section 6200, the destruction of public records is a crime unless otherwise authorized by law. Section 6200 provides: Every officer having the custody of any record, map, or book, or of any paper or proceeding of any court, filed or deposited in