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Public Records Act

Leading gubernatorial candidates Meg Whitman and Jerry Brown need to show voters, by their own actions, that they are committed to transparency in government. Promises won’t cut it.

Peter Scheer March 9, 2010

BY PETER SCHEER—As California voters begin the process of selecting the next  Governor of the ungovernable Golden State, the leading candidates owe them a demonstration of their commitment to government transparency. All politicians are supportive of open-government “in principle;”  the question is whether they are committed in practice. The best test for that is a candidate’s willingness, before an election, to  disclose information about himself that is not legally required to be disclosed–but that voters

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California State Assembly Speaker bans texting in session

donal brown March 9, 2010

The new California Assembly Speaker has banned text messaging on the assembly floor prompting skepticism from First Amendment advocates that the ban is enforceable or efficacious. -db CivSource Commentary March 9, 2010 By Bailey McCann Last week, when John A. Perez became California’s new Assembly Speaker a point in his opening speech caught our eye — a new rule limiting text messaging on the Assembly floor. The rule will stop text messages from lobbyists from

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A&A: Can City Attorney Withhold 911 Call Transcripts?

FAC March 8, 2010

Q: A county supervisor called 911 to report what he described as an assault with several punches thrown at him. The local police department investigated and determined witnesses saw no punches thrown. After some delay, the city attorney has released the police investigative documents. Thus far, they have refused to release transcripts of the phone call(s) to report it. The city attorney is claiming that releasing the transcripts may have a chilling effect on other

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News organizations hopeful about obtaining parole documents of alleged kidnapper

donal brown February 6, 2010

A Sacramento judge tentatively ruled that the state must hand over Phillip Garrido’s parole records. Garrido has been charged with the kidnap of an 11-year-old girl and keeping her in captivity for 18 years. -db The Sacramento Bee February 5, 2010 By Sam Stanton A Sacramento judge issued a tentative ruling Thursday that would require state corrections officials to turn over certain parole documents on Phillip Garrido to The Bee and two other news organizations,

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Internet raises stakes in cases pitting public disclosure against right to privacy

donal brown January 19, 2010

In Doe v. Reed, the U.S. Supreme Court will weigh the right to privacy under the First Amendment’s protection of freedom of speech and association against the need for open government and transparency in public elections. -DB First Amendment Center Commentary January 19, 2010 By Tony Mauro WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Supreme Court has agreed to review a case that presents the classic tension between public disclosure and personal privacy but with the added twist

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