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Asked and Answered

Brown Act CPRA

Are a city manager’ meetings with his staff covered by the Brown Act?

[…] the public interest served by disclosure of the record." Govt. Code § 6255(a). You can find more information about the Public Records Act, including a sample request letter, on the FAC’s website here. Bryan Cave LLP is general counsel for the First Amendment Coalition and responds to FAC hotline inquiries. In responding to these […]

January 18, 2015
Asked and Answered

CPRA

Is the list of employees taking voluntary buyouts a public document?

[…] writing, and ask that the district explain any grounds for denial of your request. You can find additional information regarding the Public Records Act, including sample request letters, on the FAC's website here: https://firstamendmentcoalition.org/category/resources/access-to-records/ Holme Roberts & Owen LLP is general counsel for the First Amendment Coalition and responds to FAC hotline inquiries. In […]

August 27, 2010
Latest News

Blog

How FAC Fights for Police Transparency

[…] and use of force. The guide, updated in 2023, includes a detailed legal guide with relevant statutes and court interpretations, along with a FAQ and sample request letters. CALIFORNIA PUBLIC RECORDS ACT PRIMERThis handbook offers an overview of our state’s main freedom of information law, with discussion of exemptions, fees, and best practices for […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
- Public Records
August 9, 2023
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Senior Center Boards and the Brown Act

It is certainly possible that the school district may cite privacy as a reason to turn down your request, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are correct to do so. Government Code section 6254 provides that " Except as provided in Section 6254.7, nothing in this chapter shall be construed to require disclosure of […]

June 14, 2009
Asked and Answered

CPRA

Request for documents on Tax Lien Sale denied. Why?

[…] response. Gov’t Code § 6255(b).There is also no requirement that you provide your name, address, or reason for the request. Gov’t Code § 6257.5.There are sample request letters on the First Amendment Coalition website at http://firstamendmentcoalition.org/category/resources/access-to-records/ As you may already know, the Public Records Act provides that public records including "any writing containing information […]

October 6, 2011
Asked and Answered

CPRA Police Records

Accessing Police Evidence

[…] done so, I suggest you submit a request under the Public Records Act. A sample PRA request is available on CFAC's website at the following link: https://firstamendmentcoalition.org/cpra-primer/sample-cpra-request- letter/. To the extent you are seeking representation with respect to the charges filed against you, as stated above, we cannot provide legal advice or representation. It […]

June 14, 2009
Latest News

Blog Cases

Super Bowl Score: Cop Overtime $6.3 Million, Taxpayers 0

[…] reimbursed. Not only did the City not get any reimbursement for Super Bowl 50 costs, the Fire and Police departments, along with the Emergency Management Department, signed letters of assurance to not seek reimbursement from the NFL for providing additional public safety services related to the Super Bowl. Only two City departments – the […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
- Public Records
April 14, 2016
Asked and Answered

CPRA

Request For Public Employee W2 Forms Fulfilled, But Heavily Redacted. Are The Redactions Legal?

[…] pension/STRS contributions on behalf of the employee), and state income tax withheld. When I asked to have these redactions removed, the school's legal counsel responded with a letter that stated that would be an unwarranted invasion of privacy and not serve the public interest. Is there an accepted standard for what W2 information is […]

April 26, 2022
Latest News

Blog

CFAC files suit in affirmative action case to defend researcher’s academic freedom and oppose State Bar’s claim that it is above the law of access

[…] is affirmative action, the mere mention of which raises blood pressure levels among bureaucrats of all political persuasions. And because Sander's research breaches a taboo of political correctness: he hypothesizes that affirmative action, at least in top law schools, actually hurts the minority students it is designed to help. It does this, Sander suggests, […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
- Public Records
June 3, 2009
Asked and Answered

First Amendment Police Records

What is legality of reporting on contents of leaked documents?

[…] after they are leaked, and in some instances, will actively attempt to prevent such reporting. For example, in connection with the Sony hacks, Sony’s attorney sent a letter to various news entities warning them not to report on the leaked documents. However, once documents are leaked, it may not be up to the original […]

November 8, 2016