In three separate recent cases, the Los Angeles Superior Court ordered Business Improvement Districts to comply with the California Public Records Act, Cal. Gov Code § 6250, et. seq
After decades of secrecy, SB 1421 makes certain records relating to police use of force and misconduct available upon request under the California Public Records Act ("CPRA").
Read MoreLegislation recently passed by the State Senate and State Assembly will provide additional law enforcement accountability by allowing the public to more easily access certain police audio and video recordings, such as body camera footage. The legislation, AB 748, is currently awaiting the Governor’s signature.
Read MoreThe California Public Records Act can be a powerful tool for attorneys representing clients in litigation against or involving CA public agencies. In the Spring 2018 issue of Trial Lawyer Magazine, published by the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association (SFTLA), I have a column where I share practice tips with attorneys on how the CPRA may be able to help them better represent their clients.
Read MoreImmigration attorneys can use the California Public Records Act (“CPRA”) to help clients access the contents of their police reports. Police reports can be important tools in immigration cases, from demonstrating eligibility for U visas to defending clients in removal proceedings. However, attorneys are not always familiar with their clients’ rights to these reports or the best way to obtain them. This blog contains information on how to obtain the records clients are entitled to under the CPRA. Cal. Gov’t Code §§ 6250 et seq.
Read MoreActivists from San Diego Americans for Safe Access use California Public Records Act ("CPRA") requests to disprove misleading claims made by law enforcement in support of restrictions on medical cannabis. The now-debunked claims, based on deliberately misleading statistics, were being used to support restrictions on medical cannabis in other local jurisdictions.
Read MoreA California Public Records Act (“CPRA”) lawsuit was filed in Alameda County Superior Court against the University of California, Berkeley to obtain records on a number of subjects, including the University’s communication with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”), the University’s role in Urban Shield, the University’s response to the Occupy the Farm movement, the University’s relationship with Amazon, the University’s efforts to obtain military equipment from the federal government, and the University’s response to far-right groups on campus.
Read MoreIn Pasadena Police Officers Association et al. v. City of Pasadena, the Second District Court of Appeals held that a California Public Records Act ("CPRA") requestor can recover attorney’s fees from the police union that filed a losing reverse-CPRA lawsuit.
Read MoreA California Public Records Act ("CPRA") lawsuit was filed today against the San Diego District Attorney's Office, the County of San Diego, and former District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis for withholding public records contained in personal accounts and/or on personal devices.
Read MoreProposed legislation SB 1244 will discourage abusive government litigation by protecting public records requestors from fee liability in suits where agencies seek the return of disclosed documents.
Read MoreThe publisher of the Palo Alto Free Press has filed a California Public Records Act (CPRA) lawsuit to obtain the photographs of the seven Redwood City Police Department officers involved in the shooting and killing of a man in Redwood City on December 30, 2017.
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Abenicio Cisneros is an attorney who focuses his practice on issues related to the California Public Records Act.