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In settlement with FAC, LA County Jail releases inmate visitor log, agrees to relax secrecy rule

SCHEER--As part of a legal settlement with the First Amendment Coalition, the Los Angeles County Jail has agreed to pull back its veil of secrecy on the identities of persons who visit incarcerated public officials. The jail's prior policy had been to withhold---on grounds of privacy-protection--the names of visitors to all jail inmates. Going forward, […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
- Public Records
December 5, 2013
Asked and Answered

First Amendment

Disclosing Records, Confidentiality, and Termination of Employment

[…] of Education, 391 U.S. 563 (1968), the US Supreme Court held that a public school teacher was wrongfully fired by his school board after he wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper attacking the board's funding priorities and suggesting mishandling of a prior bond issue proposal. The Court found that the teacher's […]

June 14, 2009
Asked and Answered

Newsgathering

Interviews with Inmates Can’t Be Recorded

[…] As part of the documentary, I would like to film interviews with several cult members who are serving prison sentences for the murder. The PA department of corrections has denied my request, citing a five year old policy barring all recording inside PA state prisons. Any help or advice you could provide would be […]

June 10, 2010
Asked and Answered

CPRA

CA Medical Board non-responsive to PRA request

[…] might note that the "investigatory exemption" in section 6254(f), while broad, would only apply here if the Medical Board is considered a state or local agency for " correctional, law enforcement, or licensing purposes." Gov’t Code § 6254(f). And even if it is, the exemption only covers records of complaints, investigative records and security files […]

September 11, 2016
Asked and Answered

Brown Act CPRA

Councilmembers texting during meeting a Brown Act violation?

[…] City's resources but discussing the City's business are 'public records.'" Id. at 1300. The appellate court did not reach the issue of whether the trial court was correct in determining that the council member was not a "public agency" for purposes of the PRA, and instead dismissed the petition on other procedural grounds. However, […]

May 23, 2013
Latest News

Blog

The Hannity Reveal Was Huge News — But Everyone Missed The Most Important Point

[…] First Amendment required Judge Wood to ask, which is: "is there a very good reason that Hannity’s name must not be revealed publicly?" McCarthy may be correct as a general matter that "judicially endorsed standards" prohibit "identifying uncharged persons in legal proceedings attendant to criminal investigations." But once Cohen’s lawyers sought to submit […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
May 8, 2018
Asked and Answered

CPRA

PRA request from the California Engineer Board

[…] is presumed public and must be disclosed unless a specific exemption applies. Gov’t Code § 6252(e). If you make a written request to the Board (a sample letter is available here) it must determine whether the records are subject to the PRA within 10 days of your request, and "promptly notify" you, in writing, […]

April 14, 2016
Asked and Answered

CPRA Police Records

Access to Police Officer personnel files

[…] v. City of Taft, 154 Cal. App. 3d 332 (1982), the right of access to the termination agreement (as part of his employment contract), should include any letters laying out the terms of the termination of the chief's contract. With respect to the audit prepared by the outside investigator, in a normal case you should […]

June 14, 2009
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Detailed guides on open meetings and open records, with sample letters for you to customize.

June 11, 2024
Asked and Answered

Brown Act CPRA

Public Records Non-Compliance, Filing Suit, and Non-Response

[…] not have the money to bring suit. Some years ago, the county superintendent wrote me that she found my requests harassing and she would never answer my letters again. She has kept her word. The board has refused to place this non-compliance on an agenda. And when I have attempted to bring this up […]

June 14, 2009