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Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Emailed Public Comments Were Not Read as Promised at Board of Supervisors Meeting Closed By Coronavirus

[…] impliedly requiring the physical presence of members, the clerk or other personnel of the body, or of the public as a condition of participation in or quorum for a public meeting"during the COVID-19 crisis. In addition, Order N-29-20 states: "A local . . . body . . . that holds a meeting via teleconferencing […]

August 12, 2020
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Does Brown Act Allow Adding Agenda Items Less Than 72-Hours Before A Meeting?

A California City Council originally released an agenda for its regular meeting without a closed session. Each agenda usually has a closed session heading listed at the end of the meeting — but the council doesn't meet in closed session; it's like a placeholder. On its action calendar, the council was scheduled to discuss […]

May 19, 2020
Latest News

Cases Press Release

FAC Moves to Unseal Search Warrants in Illegal Police Raid on SF Journalist

The First Amendment Coalition (FAC) today filed a motion to unseal the San Francisco Police Department’s applications for two search warrants in the case of journalist Bryan Carmody, whose home and office police raided last week,sparking national outrage from press advocates, civil libertarians and many others. Why two judges authorized those warrants—which appear to […]
- Press Freedom
May 17, 2019
Asked and Answered

CPRA

Online Sheriff’s Blotter

Although California's Public Records Act requires state and local agencies to provide access to most records created, used, or maintained by the agencies, there are broad exemptions for records related to law enforcement. Govt. Code Section 6254(f) (see below). But this section of the PRA provides that "state and local law enforcement agencies shall […]

June 14, 2009
Cases

Adams v. County of Sacramento

This amicus brief advocates for a broad definition of "public concern" in the interest of protecting the free speech rights of public employees while still allowing governmental employers to consider the impact of the speech on the workplace.

December 5, 2024
Latest News

Cases Press Release

FAC Urges Court to Block Fresno Ordinance, Citing First Amendment Concerns

[…] important role in documenting the government’s treatment of homeless people, FAC's brief says UPDATE May 24, 2022: A federal judge, citing First Amendment problems, granted plaintiffs' motion for a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of the ordinance at issue in the case. Read the order. The First Amendment Coalition today filed an amicus brief urging […]
- Press Freedom
April 12, 2022
Latest News

Cases Press Release

Statement on Judge’s Ruling in Public Access Case Against Kern County Superior Court

[…] California asked a federal judge to order officials in Kern County to immediately enforce the public’s First Amendment right of access to hearings and trials. The request for a temporary restraining order came as part of a federal civil rights lawsuit the groups filed after documenting more than a dozen instances of members of […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
July 2, 2020
Posts

Join us in urging the Governor to sign SB 914 to protect privacy and free speech rights

[…] requiring police, following an arrest, to obtain a warrant to search an individual's cellphone (or other "portable electronic device"), just as the police would have to do for a search of files located in your office desk or your bedroom (which are far better analogies than a cigarette pack). The virtue of a warrant […]
- Free Expression
- Government Transparency and Accountability
September 21, 2011
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

How Do I Address Agency’s Failure to Honor Brown Act Meeting Notification Deadlines?

The airport commission in our municipality has only given 25 hours notice of the time and location change for their next meeting. This commission is notorious for posting meeting agendas at the last minute and scheduling meetings that are not convenient for residents to attend. Is the airport commission in violation of the Brown […]

September 26, 2021
Asked and Answered

CPRA

City misses CPRA request deadlines “due to staff vacancies”?

My friend and I first requested financial records for two affordable housing projects receiving government subsidies on August 19. The City responded on August 27 informing us that due to staff vacancies they could not fulfill our request, and that they would provide a status update by October 1. On September 4, we responded to the […]

October 12, 2015