Obtaining grand jury transcripts Q: I am interested in obtaining the grand jury transcripts for proceedings for a particular defendant. Can you please tell me how to get them, or can you tell me what site I might find them on or if in fact they are available to the public. Could you email them to me? Must I pay for them and if so, how much? A: Under California Penal Code section 938.1(b), transcripts
Must I pay for copying in advance? Q: I recently received a reply to a public records request. I am concerned by a line in the letter that requires advance payment for copies of public records. This is fully reasonable if the agency tells the requestor the amount owed, and requires payment, before the documents are photocopied. However, I just heard a horror story of a state agency requiring hundreds of dollars as an up
Access to transcripts of 911 calls Q: I was involved in a hit and run accident in May of last year. I have requested transcript of the call to the CHP officer that came from the Los Angeles County 911 service and dispatched the CHP officer to the accident location. I have requested this document through the L.A City Arson Inv. Sec. Cust. of Records. They said that they can’t release the call records unless
Can I insist on the original record? Q: I have for many years inspected and made copies of original documents after recordation at the County Recorder’s Office. This is part of my business. Now the county has cut off my access to these original papers, saying they are not public records. The county is now selling record copies on CD for about $500 per month. Their copies lose much information of interest to me (for
My Child Welfare Records from 30 years ago Q: I was a resident of California when I became a reluctant but active participant in child welfare. I was placed in a foster home where I was abused, in a multitude of ways. I am writing my autobiography and have a story to tell, but I can’t get anyone there to help me procure those records. I want access to the records between 1975-1978, or there