First Amendment & FOIA
Virginia police deny access, even when investigation is over
“19-year-old Hailu Brook was shot and killed by Fairfax County police after he allegedly robbed a bank and crossed the county line. Officers fired 25 shots into his body, and the Arlington County Police Department conducted an official investigation into the actions of the Fairfax officers.” “The case is closed, but the Arlington police chief…
Read MoreEmails reveal how University of Montana’s administration handles cases of alleged rape
“Earlier this month, the U.S. Justice Department announced a first-of-its kind investigation into how rape cases are handled by the University of Montana and its campus police, along with the Missoula Police Department and the Missoula County Attorney’s Office because of a series of investigations by the Missoulian.” “Since December, the paper has been reporting…
Read MoreAnalyzing Governor Walker’s calendars
In a three-part series for the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, Kate Golden and Amy Karon used the state’s open records law to receive Gov. Scott Walker’s official calendars. “To analyze how Walker has used his time as the state’s chief executive, WCIJ reporters created a database of the more than 4,400 entries in Walker’s…
Read MoreNew York’s Freedom of Information Law fails concerned parents
Elmira Star-Gazette reporter Jason Whong showed that despite having the benefit of the newspaper’s archives and knowing where to look and which dates to research, New York’s Freedom of Information and open records law couldn’t help him — or any parent — find much evidence of an accused sexual predator’s history of similar crimes and…
Read MoreSheriff’s questionable relationship revealed
“A WVUE-TV investigation reveals a timeline that a government watchdog says needs to be probed by the FBI. Lee Zurik, the station’s chief investigative reporter, requested and received emails that show a questionable relationship between a disgraced sheriff and a former FBI agent turned businessman. WVUE-TV uploaded all source documents to DocumentCloud.”
Read MoreHarassment allegations bring to light a larger problem
Beth Cooper of The Daily Helmsman reports that after following rumors of alleged sexual harassment at the University of Memphis’ Physical Plant department, larger problems within the administration arose. Freedom of Information requests show that administrators could not determine the validity or falsehood of the allegations or how to correct the situation, due to a…
Read MoreMillions paid to influential chairman
Accounting by the Journal Sentinel and MedPage Today shows that a University of Wisconsin-Madison chairman has received more than $25 million in royalties from Medtronic, a medical device firm, since 2003. “Additionally, UW Hospital spent $27 million for Medtronic spinal products from 2004 to 2010, according to documents obtained through an open records request. And…
Read MoreWorldwide freedom of information laws widely ignored
“A flurry of freedom of information laws adopted over the past decade has given more than 5.3 billion people worldwide the right, on paper, to know what their governments are doing behind closed doors. However, The Associated Press found in the first worldwide test of this promised freedom of information, that more than half the…
Read MoreMajority of Florida agencies compliant with public records laws
A report by Jennifer Kay of the Associated Press shows a statewide audit of Florida’s public records law found that the vast majority of agencies in the state were in compliance with with the law. The audit was conducted as part of Sunshine Week. 201 agencies were initially contacted. Of the 148 who responded, 86.5…
Read MoreSerial killer series prompts police to re-open investigations
Police in Ohio and Indiana have launched new murder investigations after a Scripps Howard News Service investigation revealed dozens of clusters of unsolved killings of women nationwide that are likely the work of serial killers. Also, authorities in Nevada acknowledge they are hunting a serial killer, although the public has not been told that the unsolved murders of up to seven women…
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