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Showing 431 - 440 of 692 results

  • Asked and Answered

    CPRA

    Awarding Attorney’s Fees in CPRA Cases

    You are correct that an award of attorneys fees is mandatory to a plaintiff who prevails in Public Records Act ("PRA") litigation.  Since you say you have one more shot with the trial court before going to the Court of Appeal on the fee issue, you may want to advise the court of the […]

    June 14, 2009

  • Asked and Answered

    Brown Act

    A Group of City Council Staffers Can Constitute a Serial Meeting, too

    […] members of the staff of the three councilmen who make up that committee. However, we were told that only one staff member could attend, because any more would make it a violation of the Brown Act. Is it correct that meetings of elected officials' staff members subject to the open meetings provisions of the act?

    July 13, 2010

  • Asked and Answered

    CPRA Police Records

    Is crime victim entitled to see investigation records?

    […] or security files compiled by any other state or local police agency, or any investigatory or security files compiled by any other state or local agency for correctional, law enforcement, or licensing purposes." Govt. Code Section 6254(f). That section does provide that "state and local law enforcement agencies shall disclose the names and addresses […]

    October 26, 2010

  • Latest News

    Blog

    Obama blasts Afghans for expelling reporter who refused to ID confidential sources. So why the continued pursuit, at home, of NYT reporter James Risen?

    […] Department's relentless pursuit of Risen, and its refusal to recognize a qualified, first amendment-based, testimonial privilege for journalists, are serious mistakes. Now would be a good time for President Obama to correct those mistakes. --------------------- The views expressed here are Peter Scheer's only; they do not necessarily reflect the views of FAC's Board of Directors. 

    August 23, 2014

  • Asked and Answered

    CPRA Police Records

    Are police informant contracts subject to the PRA?

    […] focused and effective request that reasonably describes identifiable records.  Gov’t Code § 6253.1. You can find more information about the Public Records Act, including a sample request letter, at the First Amendment Coalition website here. Bryan Cave LLP is general counsel for the First Amendment Coalition and responds to FAC hotline inquiries. In responding to […]

    April 27, 2016

  • Latest News

    2007 CFAC Free Speech & Open Government Assembly

    […] Last year’s recipient, for instance, was investor Ron Burkle, for attempts to make divorce records secret. In 2005 the darkness "diss-honor" went to the state Department of Corrections and its then leader (what was his name??) for blocking legislation to give journalists access to prisoners. CFAC has been rewarding good and bad open-government deeds […]

    June 3, 2009

  • Latest News

    Blog

    Your right to COVID-19 outbreak data

    […] justices take the opportunity to "remind public agencies that the right of access to information is a matter of law, notwhim or unsubstantiated hunch." Read our full letter to the California Supreme Court. And find more about the case here. Thank you, as always, for your interest in our work. David Snyder Executive Director […]

    September 2, 2021

  • Asked and Answered

    CPRA

    My CPRA requests have been ignored. What can I do?

    Where a Public Records Act request is being ignored, I always suggest writing a strongly worded (but friendly) letter to the agency setting forth the facts surrounding the request and the agency’s obligations in responding to the request, which include: Responding in writing to any written requests for records within 10 days of receipt of […]

    May 19, 2015

  • Asked and Answered

    CPRA

    School documents and lost records

    […] agency and any public official or public employee is a public record" regardless of any exemption in secs. 6254 or 6255. If I understand your second question correctly, the agency has in fact lost the record you are seeking. If that is actually the case, the agency does not have a duty to provide […]

    June 14, 2009

  • Asked and Answered

    CPRA

    Tax Document Exemptions from Public Records Requests

    […] must respond to a request for a copy of a public record within 10 days, and the time for responding may be extended for an additional 14 days in "unusual circumstances." Gov't Code section 6253(b)-(c). You can find additional information regarding the Public Records Act, including sample request letters, on the FAC's website here: http://firstamendmentcoalition.org/category/resources/access-to-records/

    June 24, 2010