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Showing results for government bodies must comply brown act 54951 act90 54951 act 54951 act90 54951 54951 54951

Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Urgent meeting scheduled for July 4 seemed to circumvent the public process

[…] the normal town meeting room but was not televised as is usual and customary for town meetings. The cameras were present but not turned on. Staff never attempted to activate them nor contacted the persons who do. Nor was it streamed on the internet as per usual. I feel that this will become a common occurrence in order to […]

July 13, 2014
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The first amendment is in trouble when EU bureaucrats get to decide what US citizens can read on US-based websites

[…] law. A first amendment red line had been crossed. A major publisher of information--which is what Google, in its search business, most emphatically is--had been directed by government authorities to censor its content. But the impact on free speech could soon get much worse. Google has received over 186,000 requests for deletion of search […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
December 15, 2014
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SB 331, a secrecy bill masquerading as a transparency bill, deserves a veto

BY PETER SCHEER--I’m always suspicious of legislation that increases government secrecy. But what really gets my attention is legislation that purports to make government more transparent---when in fact its true purpose and effect are just the opposite. SB 331, which is awaiting the Governor’s signature, is just such a sham: an official secrecy act […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
- Public Records
September 16, 2015
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Police won’t provide me access to my interrogation reports

[…] for enforcement, can be found at the First Amendment Coalition’s website here. Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP is general counsel for the First Amendment Coalition and responds to FAC hotline inquiries. In responding to these inquiries, we can give general information regarding open government and speech issues but cannot provide specific legal advice or representation.

June 18, 2015
Asked and Answered

CPRA

Countering a claim of non-existent records

[…] Its sole function is to provide for disclosure."). Unfortunately, it is not always clear what destruction of records is permissible under California law. Section 34090 of the Government Code provides for the lawful destruction of city records in certain circumstances: Unless otherwise provided by law, with the approval of the legislative body by resolution […]

June 14, 2009
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Personal attacks in public meetings

In a closed session meeting, under The Brown Act, do the normal rules of order and decorum apply? We have a situation where some board members feel they can viciously and personally attack other members of the board with impunity. As this is a closed session, they feel that nothing can be done.

June 14, 2009
Asked and Answered

Brown Act CPRA

Can they deny my request for a video of a meeting that was streamed live?

[…] destroyed 30 days after the recording. Any inspection of an audio or video recording shall be provided without charge on equipment made available by the local agency. Government Code section 54953.5(b). Assuming the video recording of the town hall meeting still exists, the agency should provide you with a copy pursuant to this code […]

June 12, 2015
Asked and Answered

CPRA

CPRA request won’t be fulfilled unless we show documents we’ve already received

[…] messages contained on personal devices such as smartphones are subject to disclosure under the Act. The issue was litigated in 2013, and in a trial court victory for government transparency, the judge ruled that the Act applies to government officials’ emails and texts about government business, even if such messages were sent or received using […]

June 16, 2016
Asked and Answered

CPRA Police Records

Are police informant contracts subject to the PRA?

[…] description, since it’s not something that is pertinent to the investigation itself. The police department might also claim some other exemption – for example, the "catch-all" exemption, Government Code § 6255, which is a broad, yet undefined, exemption that provides that a record may be withheld if, on the facts of the particular case, […]

April 27, 2016
Asked and Answered

CPRA Police Records

Obtaining Copies of Police Reports Relating to a Minor

[…] Records Act ("CPRA"). Under the CPRA, records in the possession of public entities are presumed to be public unless one of the Act's exceptions to disclosure applies. Government Code section 6254(f) sets forth the so-called "law enforcement" exemption, which allows law enforcement agencies (such as a sheriff's office) to withhold, among other things, records […]

June 14, 2009