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  • Latest News

    Facebook, under attack for choosing “trending” stories, should embrace the 1st Amendment

    […] have way too much time on their hands). By Tuesday, Senator John Thune, Republican of South Dakota and chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, fired off a letter to Facebook demanding to know  "if there’s any level of subjectivity associated with" Facebook’s trending news stories. Facebook responded, defensively, that it was "continuing to investigate […]

    May 11, 2016

  • Asked and Answered

    CPRA

    Surveillance cameras and the CPRA

    […] tapes under the California Public Records Act (PRA). You can click on this link to get a template for such a request from the CFAC website:  http://firstamendmentcoalition.org/cpra-primer/sample-cpra-request- letter/ In your written request, you should remind the SJPD that they should make sure they preserve a copy of the tapes from that day, and not […]

    June 14, 2009

  • Asked and Answered

    CPRA

    Can criminal background checks on county candidates be kept confidential?

    […] on other officeholders nor does it plan to start doing them for all candidates. It did, however, conduct such a check in 1989 when it last made an appointment to the clerk-recorder position. Is the county's interpretation correct? Can the county keep the results of a background check on a person holding elected office confidential?

    May 1, 2013

  • Asked and Answered

    Brown Act CPRA

    Redevelopment Agency becomes “private corporation” not covered by Brown Act?

    I believe your conclusions are correct. Both the Brown Act and the Public Records Act will apply to the governing body of a private organization that was formed by a public agency "in order to exercise authority that may lawfully be delegated by the elected governing body to a private corporation." Govt Code section […]

    May 2, 2013

  • Asked and Answered

    CPRA

    Strategic question regarding a large PRA request

    […] your request so you get what you are looking for. You can find more information about how to submit a Public Records Act request, including a sample letter, here. Bryan Cave LLP is general counsel for the First Amendment Coalition and responds to First Amendment Coalition hotline inquiries. In responding to these inquiries, we […]

    September 6, 2016

  • Asked and Answered

    CPRA

    How do I enforce my right under the CPRA to inspect records?

    If I am understanding your inquiry correctly, you are not requesting a copy of the manual in its entirety, but rather are asking the healthcare district to provide you with access to the manual so you may inspect it in person (presumptively at the district offices). Under the PRA, there are technically two ways […]

    June 7, 2017

  • Latest News

    Advocacy Blog

    Criticism Is Not Defamation. It’s Free Speech.

    […] that "derogatory comments against district employees or others made in a board meeting can be actionable as defamation under certain circumstances." This statement violates the First Amendment and California law. Today FAC sent this letter to the school board informing it that such threats are unconstitutional, emphasizing that "critique of government is democracy, not defamation."

    October 28, 2024

  • Asked and Answered

    CPRA

    Public Availability and Destruction of Temporary or Handwritten Notes

    […] suggested that I re-submit a new, formal PRA request asking for the "binder notes" from our County Public Works Director. So, I used aversion of the sample letter provided on cfac.org, as suggested, where it reads: "In any event, please provide a signed notification citing the legal authorities on which you rely if you […]

    June 14, 2009

  • Asked and Answered

    CPRA

    Are a Water Utility’s Shut-Off Statistics Public Records in California?

    […] the city, you can then make your case with respect to the public interest in releasing this information, if necessary. You can find a sample PRA request letter on the FAC’s website, available here. Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP is general counsel for the First Amendment Coalition and responds to FAC hotline inquiries. In […]

    May 14, 2020

  • Asked and Answered

    CPRA Police Records

    How can I get the police dept. to release a shooting report?

    […] 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 § 6254(f) (see below in green for entire text of provision). This exemption is fairly broad and generally makes it […]

    September 30, 2011