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Celebrate Sunshine Week in California–Hold Public Officials Accountable for Access to Information

[…] to disclose the names and salaries of public employees making more than $100,000 a year. The California Supreme Court is considering that case. There's no good reason for the public officials in any of these cases to be fighting against disclosure. They are public officials doing the public's business, and being paid pretty well […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
June 2, 2009
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Blog

Can a journalist “plead the fifth” to avoid having to name a confidential source? A federal judge say yes.

Several years ago, when journalists by the dozen were being threatened with jail for refusing to name their confidential sources, I wrote an article urging them to invoke the fifth amendment's protection against self-incrimination--to use the fifth amendment to reinforce the first amendment-based "journalist’s privilege." This idea hasn't gotten much traction, until now: a federal […]
- Press Freedom
December 16, 2013
Latest News

Press Release

California Supreme Court Stops Cities From Charging Steep Fees for Video Redactions

The California Supreme Court today issued an opinion preventing government agencies from charging the public for editing and compiling police body camera footage and other electronic records before the records are released. The First Amendment Coalition and the California News Publishers Association filed an amicus brief in the case, National Lawyers Guild v. City […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
May 28, 2020
Latest News

California Reporting Project Wins 2019 FAC Award for Police Accountability Coverage

[…] Area News Group/Southern California News Group, Capital Public Radio, Investigative Studios (of UC Berkeley’s Investigative Reporting Program), KPCC/LAist, KQED and the Los Angeles Times to submit requests for records under California’s new police transparency law, Senate Bill 1421, and to share results. The initiative quickly grew, and now includes more than 40 newsrooms that […]

December 2, 2019
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Blog

California agencies have no business claiming copyright protection for public records

[…] to give citizens the right to information, typically in the form of records, about government policies and actions. Unless the requested records are subject to a specific exemption, an agency must turn them over. The records are in the public domain. The whole point of Copyright law, on the other hand, is to give […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
June 22, 2016
Latest News

Brown signs anti-sunshine bill, setting up 1st Amdt battle. Do labor rights trump democracy?

BY PETER SCHEER—Jerry Brown is often praised for his political independence, for his willingness to make policy choices that he thinks are right on the merits, even if it means angering poerful constituencies. But there are limits. They were reached in the latest legislative term in the Governor’s decision to sign legislation drafted and […]

October 27, 2015
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Blog

Are journalists who use leaked records engaging in the “fencing” of stolen property?

Some government officials have been pushing the theory that journalists who write stories based on leaked classified documents---think Glenn Greenwald, for example---are engaging in the "fencing" of stolen property. Mike Rogers, the Republican chair of the House Intelligence Committee, made this point yesterday when questioning FBI Director James Comey at a congressional hearing. Rogers […]
- Press Freedom
February 4, 2014
Latest News

Cases

Apple v Samsung appeals court signals interest in transparency issue

[…] transparency in patent infringement litigation. The case is an appeal from the massive Apple v. Samsung suit. Both parties have appealed to the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to void rulings by the trial judge that order the companies to unseal--that is, make public--financial and other records that they filed with […]

March 15, 2013
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Blog

Appeal judges hear arguments in CFAC’s suit for release of county’s digital mapping database

CFAC is awaiting a decision in an appeal of its trial court victory against Santa Clara County for release of the county's digital "basemap" of real estate parcels, which can be used in various digital mapping applications. Santa Clara County, which has licensed the basemap for tens-of-thousands of dollars, now claims release of the […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
June 2, 2009
Latest News

FAC News Press Release

Announcing FAC’s 2014 Free Speech & Open Government Award Winners

[…] of investigative journalism and the other demonstrating the effectiveness of advocacy using government data and the internet. They are both equally deserving of public honor and emulation for their advancement of government transparency: Sacramento Bee investigative reporter Charles Piller is honored for his three-year effort to uncover construction flaws and apparent fraud in the […]

December 2, 2014