Notable state FOIA requests, 2008
From Sunshine Review
Contents |
[edit] Colorado
The Denver Post unsuccessfully sued Gov. Bill Ritter in Denver Post v. Ritter over Ritter's refusal to provide the newspaper with nineteen months of cell phone records for a private cell phone that Ritter uses for some political or governmental discussions. The newspaper wanted to know who Ritter is discussing government business with. Ritter's office wants Ritter to have privacy.[1]
[edit] Connecticut
- The Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission has ruled that names on identification cards issued by the city of New Haven are not subject to disclosure.
[edit] Florida
- Public record requests meet with confusion in central Florida in November 2008.
[edit] Georgia
- Augusta, Georgia has failed in an attempt to show that the Association for Fair Government cannot file suit against the city.
[edit] Missouri
- The Missouri Department of Revenue tries to raise open record fees by 140,000 percent.
- Attorney General Jay Nixon (who subsequently became the state's governor) appointed a special investigative team to investigate whether Gov. Matt Blunt or his staffers had violated various provisions of the Missouri Sunshine Law. Cole County Circuit Court Judge Richard Callahan was in charge of approving the settlement reached between the parties to the dispute. Judge Callahan questioned whether the attorney general's office had the authority to appoint independent investigators. Callahan called the investigators (former state patrolmen Mel Fisher and Rick Wilhoit) a "rogue investigative team."[2]
[edit] New Jersey
- According to the New Jersey Government Records Council e-mails are subject to OPRA, even if they are unopened.
- Fair Share Housing Center, requesting records from the New Jersey State League of Municipalities.
[edit] North Carolina
- Brian Keesee lawsuit against Oak Island, North Carolina for withholding records and destruction of records. Filed July 1, 2008.
[edit] North Dakota
- The Grand Forks Herald requested copies from the University of North Dakota (U-ND) regarding disciplinary procedures after anti-semitic graffiti episodes occurred on campus in May 2008. U-ND denied the request, citing the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), leading North Dakota attorney general Wayne Stenehjem to rule that the university is in spite of how it interpets FERPA required to provide the paper with the requested documents.[3]
[edit] Rhode Island
- The Rhode Island affiliate of the ACLU filed a lawsuit against the North Smithfield police department in December 2008 accusing the department of violating the APRA by refusing to turn over an arrest report. The suit alleges that a police dispatcher refused in November 2008 to give a community activist a copy of an arrest report related to a traffic stop. The ACLU says the dispatcher erroneously told the activist the report was off-limits until criminal charges were resolved. The suit seeks $1,000 in damages.[4]
[edit] Wisconsin
- An audit finds nearly 10% of open records requests denied or ignored in November of 2008.
[edit] References
- ↑ Post sues over Ritter's phone records, August 12, 2008
- ↑ St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Judge Callahan shows disdain for Jay Nixon, Chet Pleban", January 6, 2009
- ↑ State Sunshine and Open Records, "FERPA v. open records", January 6, 2009
- ↑ New England Cable News (NECN), "RI town sued over alleged open records violation", December 4, 2008
