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Immigrant group gains access to ICE memo on deportation policy

donal brown October 27, 2011

A federal judge ruled that an  immigrant rights group could obtain an internal memo from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) concerning the legal justification for the Secure Communities deportation program. Using the Freedom of Information Act, the group sued five federal agencies for the memo. -d From the Courthouse News Service, October 26, 2011, by Adam Klasfeld. Full story

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Open meetings: City council barred from taking private tour of water facility

donal brown September 1, 2011

California’s Attorney General Kamala Harris demonstrated the long reach of the state’s open meeting law, the Brown Act,  in her opinion that for majority of a Southern California city council to take an invitation-only tour of a Northern California water district facility would be a violation of the law. Harris also said that even if properly noticed and inclusive, holding a meeting at such a distance from the city would limit public access and further

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Editorial alleges Bay Area Rapid Transit violating open meeting law with subcommittes

donal brown May 31, 2011

A Contra Costa Times editorial alleges that Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is violating the Brown Act, California’s open meeting law, by establishing 20 subcommittees that meet behind closed doors. BART claims they are only advisory committees, but the editorial argues that even so they violate the spirit and letter of the law. The editorial notes the importance of discussions in the subcommittees, “…why should the Finance, Budget and Internal Audit Committee operate behind closed

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Uncertain outcome in fight over release of photos of the dead Osama bin Laden

donal brown May 17, 2011

In a fight over free press rights and national security, it is far from clear which side will prevail in the dispute over releasing photos of Osama bin Laden’s dead body. Reuters reporter Andrew Longstreth wrote that secrecy expert Steven Aftergood doesn’t think the courts will see a substantial  national security issue over the photos, but he also quotes free press attorney Floyd Abrams’ more skeptical opinion, “It [deciding for the release] requires a judge

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Bay Area transit district to webcast its board meetings

donal brown March 14, 2010

The Bay Area Rapid Transit voted to post its board meetings live on the web. The decision was made after criticism that the district was not responsive to the community following a BART policeman’s fatal shooting of an unarmed passenger. -db San Jose Mercury News March 12, 2010 By Denis Cuff More than a year after an uproar over a police officer’s fatal shooting of an unarmed passenger spurred the BART board to call for

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