Current Headlines

The New Hampshire Historical Society announced that retired Supreme Court Justice David Souter is donating his personal and professional papers to the society. But, Souter has placed an extraordinarily long restriction on public access to his papers, barring anyone — researchers, historians, friends, journalists — from viewing the material for 50 years. That’s a lengthier…

A defiant Del. Phillip A. Hamilton, R-Newport News, says he has no intention of resigning, as five statewide office-seekers have urged. “Their collective opinions have not lessened my resolve to continue serving the people of the 93rd District,” he said in a statement.http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/state_regional/state_regional_govtpolitics/article/HAMI26_20090825-215809/288330/ House Speaker William J. Howell chose a secretive citizen panel to investigate…

Delegate Phil Hamilton, R-Newport News, finds himself in hot water because he inquired about getting a job at ODU’s new teaching center and then went on to secure funding for it. For a sampling of recent articles and editorials, click here. (Updated 8/28/09)

Bacon’s Rebellion: Previously in our series on online government transparency we’ve taken a look at the minimum steps local governments should adhere to in keeping their citizens informed. In this installment we are looking at what the best local governments nationwide are doing to improve online transparency.http://baconsrebellion.com/2009/07/14/pushing-governments-to-do-more-on-transparency/Note: This piece uses as its jumping off point…

The Virginia Supreme Court is proposing rules to curtail access to juror names and information. Read more here, on VCOG’s blog.

http://www.starexponent.com/cse/news/opinion/op_ed/article/our_view_the_right_to_know_might_cost_you_dearly/34829/OUR VIEW: The right to know might cost you dearlySTAFF EDITORIALPublished: May 1, 2009Last year, Leigh Purdum of Brightwood won a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against her former employer, Madison County Sheriff Erik Weaver. Her suit was over Weaver’s failure to provide a list of members on his citizens advisory board, which he claimed…

A district court said the sheriff’s refusal to turn over names of a citizen advisory panel’s members was willful and fined the sheriff — the first known FOIA fines in the state. A circuit court in April 2009 said the violation was not willful, negating both the fines AND the attorneys’ fees. Read about the…

Culpeper Star-Exponent: http://www.starexponent.com/cse/news/opinion/columnists/article/an_open_letter_to_sen._edd_houck_regarding_the_states_foia_laws/34434An open letter to Sen. Edd Houck regarding the state’s FOIA lawsBY LEIGH PURDUM | MADISONPublished: April 24, 2009Dear Sen. Houck,On Dec. 18, the General District Court found Madison County Sheriff Erik Weaver guilty of willfully and knowingly failing to adhere to the Freedom of Information Act. The sheriff appealed this decision, including…

Culpeper Star-Exponent: http://www.starexponent.com/cse/news/local/article/madison_sheriff_wins_appeal_case/34223/Madison sheriff wins appeal caseDON RICHESON, MEDIA GENERAL NEWS SERVICE
Published: April 22, 2009The Freedom of Information Act required that Madison County Sheriff Erik Weaver give names of members of his citizens advisory board to a Brightwood woman who requested them. But because the sheriff’s failure to follow FOIA statutes wasn’t done “willfully and…

Times-Dispatch Freedom of Information reportingBy DAVID RESShttp://www.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/NV-VIEW15_20090313-212305/231256/Published: March 15, 2009Freedom of Information Is the Foundation of a Free Press Some of the most exciting writing we do here in theRichmond Times-Dispatch newsroom never gets published.It reads like this: "This is a request under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act . . . ."With those words,…

Bring more sunshine to the courtsAmericans confront expensive hurdles when seeking federal court documents.http://www.roanoke.com/editorials/wb/197901When Americans talk about government secrecy, they usually point to craven legislators and executives who conceal the people’s business. They often forget about the third branch of government. Judges sometimes are just as drawn to the shadows.The courts too often forbid cameras…

PitchforksPublished: March 15, 2009http://www.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/editorials/article/EDJUDGES_20090313-212208/231253/Today marks the opening of Sunshine Week, which annually celebrates openness in government and public affairs. Sunshine Week recognizes the value of transparency. The principle is most often manifested in the Freedom of Information Act, requirements for open meetings by public bodies, and disclosure of finances and interests. Our focus today falls…

Va. lawmakers find transparency is good for government, politicsBy JIM NOLANPublished: March 15, 2009http://www.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/state_regional/state_regional_govtpolitics/article/LEGI15_20090314-221807/231919/This year, state lawmakers realized that embracing transparency was not just good government but good politics.The decision by the House of Delegates to record a lawmaker’s vote in subcommittee highlighted efforts during the 2009 General Assembly to promote openness in government and…

Study finds Virginia posts many public records onlineDENA POTTER THE ASSOCIATED PRESSPublished: March 16, 2009http://www.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/state_regional/article/SUNS16_20090315-222003/232421/Va. posts many public records online The state ranks fifth in a survey of open government and accessUnless you’re looking for death certificates, hospital inspections or a handful of other official state documents, chances are you can find them online in…

Graphics for this survey and other FOI issues are available from McClatchy-Tribune for use during Sunshine Week. See www.sunshineweek.org.   FEDERAL GOVERNMENT STILL VIEWED AS SECRETIVE; PUBLIC SUPPORTS PRESIDENT’S DIRECTIVE ON TRANSPARENCY   Washington, D.C. — For the first time in four years, public opinion about government secrecy has leveled off, although more than seven…

http://www.roanoke.com/editorials/wb/197697Do-it-yourself sunshineVirginia’s Freedom of Information Act is not just a tool for journalists. Any citizen can use it. Here’s how.If you really want to celebrate Sunshine Week’s promotion of open government, exercise your right to ask your government for information.Find out how much your city council members are spending on official meals and travel. (Roanoke…

Richmond Times-Dispatchhttp://www.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/op_ed/article/SUNSHINE315_20090313-212305/231263/Informed Citizenry Depends on Open RecordsMEGAN RHYNE TIMES-DISPATCH COLUMNIST
Published: March 15, 2009WILLIAMSBURG Regardless of whether one supports or disfavors President Obama’s stimulus plan, there’s one thing that just about everyone can agree on: We, the taxpayers, have a right to know where and how the stim ulus money will be spent.This is our money…

Podcast and commentary on using FOIA to track government revenue and expenditure. Find links to many more FOIA stories and commentary for Sunshine Week 2009 (and prior years) right here.

AG’s office and FOI Advisory Council say that when Norfolk City Council met for 70 minutes to discuss the indictments against three police officers, they may have violated FOIA. Read more on the Virginian-Pilot’s Web site.

Lawsuits filed against Roanoke Sheriff over mug shot-release policy, and against City of Radford over heavily redacted FOIA-request documents.

The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday, Sept. 12, overturned the conviction of a notorious AOL spammer, the first spamming defendant in the country to be convicted of a felony, saying the state junk e-mail law is too broad and violates the First Amendment. Read more on the Iconoclast Blog.

The settlement terms of several wrongful death lawsuits brought in Spotsylvania County against a pharmaceutical company must be disclosed publicly and cannot be sealed in the court records, a Virginia Supreme Court ruled Friday, Sept. 12.

Excellent editorial on the value of open government, using the backdrop of the current indictments of four Gloucester County supervisors, in part, for conducting public business behind closed doors.

Judge’s initiative invites mistrustPosted to: Editorials Opinionhttp://hamptonroads.com/2008/04/judges-initiative-invites-mistrustRead ArticlesThe Virginian-Pilot © April 23, 2008IMAGINE ENROLLING your child at a day care center after finding no evidence that the owner had been anything but a responsible, watchful caretaker.Imagine learning, after your child wandered off the playground, that two years earlier a jury had found the owner negligent in…

Court: Delay Web discipline postingsBar cites 2001 rules about transparencyBy Alan Cooper    April 21, 2008http://www.valawyersweekly.com/weeklyedition/2008/04/21/court-delay-web-discipline-postings/The Supreme Court of Virginia has told the Virginia State Bar that the bar should not post disciplinary information about a lawyer on its Web site until the time for filing any appeal has expired.But the VSB has responded that the…