Voice of OC (https://voiceofoc.org/tag/terry-francke/)
County officials are trying “to circumvent California Supreme Court precedent regarding the preservation of text messages,” the ACLU told the court in response. County officials declined to respond to questions about their proposed order.
Terry Francke, the General Counsel for Cal Aware writes about Sunshine Week, an annual national celebration of America’s popular access to government records and information. Francke outlines how people can take action to make their communities more open, offering ten ways you can advance your rights to know, speak, write and publish about issues that matter—where you live.
Government emails and text messages about enforcement of Orange County’s campaign finance laws will be destroyed two years after they’re sent or received, under a policy county supervisors approved Tuesday.
American courts have held the public and journalists have the right to film government officials, including police, carrying out official actions in public.
Orange County supervisors were planning to privately discuss Tuesday whether to explore using county-owned land for a veterans cemetery, but changed their agenda after Voice of OC questioned its legality.
The policy says officials may “at any time” destroy emails and text messages they consider to be internal memos or “working notes.”
The plan could be illegal, according to two attorneys who specialize in California public records law.
Santa Ana officials recently added five new water-related fees for building construction, but their public notice left that out when describing what the City Council’s action would do.
“There is not a board majority at this time” to support a permit for the restrooms, Spitzer told Voice of OC. He said he hopes to introduce an alternative idea Wednesday.
The policy resulted in a Voice of OC reporter being threatened with arrest for trying to report on officers removing a homeless activist from the Board of Supervisors meeting room.