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Showing 611 - 620 of 1793 results

Asked and Answered

CPRA

Access to public library records under Public Records Act

[…] to more information about how to submit a Public Records Act request, including a sample letter. Bryan Cave LLP is general counsel for the First Amendment Coalition and responds to FAC hotline inquiries. In responding to these inquiries, we can give general information regarding open government and speech issues but cannot provide specific legal advice or representation.

April 1, 2016
Asked and Answered

CPRA

Can city business hide behind attorney/client privilege?

[…] very reason the counsel was cc-ed was so that legal advice can be provided. Bryan Cave LLP is general counsel for the First Amendment Coalition and responds to FAC hotline inquiries. In responding to these inquiries, we can give general information regarding open government and speech issues but cannot provide specific legal advice or representation.

July 23, 2013
Asked and Answered

First Amendment

Government has retaliated against me for publicly criticizing the Vets Administration.

I am service connected veteran openly criticizing government officials at the Veterans Administration. By exercising my rights under the constitution I was subjected to a pattern of retaliation from being denied educational benefits, denied requests for information about my vocational rehabilitation records, and denied due process under the 5th Amendment. What can I do?

March 3, 2016
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

When is a non-profit board subject to the Brown Act?

[…] the hospital board need not comply with the Brown Act. To the extent the hospital board's actions may be limited by other laws, not pertaining to open government or other First Amendment issues, those issues are unfortunately outside the scope of the expertise offered by this hotline. Bryan Cave LLP is general counsel for […]

May 3, 2013
Asked and Answered

CPRA

CA Medical Board non-responsive to PRA request

[…] comply with the PRA in responding to a particular request, the ultimate recourse for enforcement of the Act is to file a lawsuit against the agency pursuant to Government Code section 6259. Such lawsuits are typically initiated by a verified petition (i.e., a request filed under oath) that asks the court to issue a writ […]

September 11, 2016
Asked and Answered

Brown Act First Amendment

Arrested for making public comments that “disturbed” council meeting

[…] "limited public forums," or areas that traditionally have not been made open to the public, but have become public forums for at least some purposes because the government body that regulates a particular area has made it available for use by the public. The same high standard that applies to public forums -- the […]

October 21, 2010
Asked and Answered

First Amendment

Regulating teacher speech

Government regulation of employee speech does implicate First Amendment issues and is sometimes unconstitutional. The question usually boils down to the "'balance between the interests of the [employee], as a citizen, in commenting upon matters of public concern and the interest of the State, as an employer, in promoting the efficiency of the […]

June 14, 2009
Asked and Answered

CPRA Police Records

Accessing county’s payments to a doctor now under arrest for molestation

[…] of "specific" exemptions that have been added over time. Many of these exemptions are listed, starting at § 6275. Finally, there is a "catch-all" exemption that the government will sometimes invoke if a more specific exemption doesn’t apply. See Gov’t Code § 6255(a). This catch-all focuses on whether the public interest would be best […]

November 12, 2011
Asked and Answered

CPRA School Records

What portion of personnel files are exempt from CPRA disclosure?

Under the California Public Records Act, the exemption set forth in Government Code 6254(c) is specifically designed for "[p]ersonnel, medical, or similar files, the disclosure of which would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy." Gov't Code § 6254(c) (emph. added). Section Government Code 6254(c) "was " ‘developed to protect intimate details of personal and […]

April 22, 2017
Asked and Answered

Brown Act CPRA

The mayor refused to let me make a public comment without identifying myself

[…] As a preliminary matter, you state in your inquiry that the school district is invoking Gov't Code § 6250 as justification for withholding the records. This particular Government Code section is merely the Public Records Act's preamble, and does not contain any specific exemption that justifies withholding the requested records.Rather, this section states that, […]

August 26, 2010