Legal dispute over public access to 911 calls reaches Maine’s highest court
From Bangor Daily News: PORTLAND, Maine — Attorneys on opposite sides of a legal dispute over public access to 911 call transcripts suggested Monday that dangerous precedents could be set if their sides did not prevail. read more ...
VCOG internship honors Roanoke legislator Clifton ‘Chip’ Woodrum
From The Roanoke Times: The Virginia Coalition for Open Government has created a legislative internship in honor of the late Clifton “Chip” Woodrum, a former legislator from Roanoke who was a staunch supporter of the public’s right to observe the workings of government. The Chip Woodrum Legislative Internship will allow a college student to gain hands-on experience during the Virginia General Assembly. The Virginia Coalition for Open Government is a member of NFOIC. --eds read more ...
Public records sealed in Best Buy assault case
From ActionNewsJax.com: JACKSONVILLE, Fla -- Circuit Court Judge Adrian Soud must decide whether to allow the release of what Jacksonville media argues should be public record and important to the coverage of a high-profile case. His decision coul ...
Judge threatens imprisonment, suspension of LSU board of supervisors in presidential records case
From The Times-Picayune: A district judge in Baton Rouge ordered the LSU Board of Supervisors on Monday to turn over records related to the university's presidential search, or face consequences that could include stopping all further court procee ...
Washington state appeals court voids $650K award to woman in public-records case
From The News Tribune: A state appeals court panel has ruled that now-retired Pierce County Judge Frederick Fleming was wrong to award $650,000 in damages and fees to an abuse victim who sued the Department of Social and Health Services to get investigative records. In a decision released Tuesday, the Division II panel ruled some of the records sought by Amber Wright were not subject to the state's Public Records Act and that others were not improperly withheld by DSHS because Wright's request for them was too vague. [. . .] read more ...
Secret Huron superintendent agreement opened, read aloud
From Mitchell Daily Republic: HURON -- An agreement that remained secret for more than two years and sent thousands of dollars to an ex-superintendent was unsealed and read aloud Monday evening at a Huron Board of Education meeting . read more ...
Wisconsin bill changing access to court database opposed
From San Francisco Chronicle: MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The latest attempt to restrict public access to a popular online court records database is once again attracting opposition from media groups, landlords, the state court system and even the parents of the bill's sponsor. But Rep. Evan Goyke, a Democrat from Milwaukee who is a former public defender in Milwaukee County, said Monday he will not be deterred by the tough road ahead, even though both his father and mother work for opponents of the bill. [...] read more ...
No cheap details on contracts
From LivingstonDaily.com: [...] The bulk of state contracts flow through the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget, which houses the state’s central procurement office and publishes all of its 1,200 contracts with outs ...
Mass. AG to host forums on Open Meeting Law
From The Boston Globe: BOSTON (AP) — The state Attorney General’s Office will hold three educational forums on the Open Meeting Law throughout the state next month. The forums are part of an effort by Attorney General Martha Coakley to help public boards understand and comply with the requirements of the law. State, local, regional and county public boards are required to comply with the law. read more ...
Disclosure divide: TPD releases different versions of police reports
From Tallahassee Democrat: The Tallahassee Police Department scrubbed police reports of information — some of which it might be required by law to release — before handing them over to a Tallahassee Democrat reporter, but didn’ ...
