Transparency News, 12/14/21

Now that the Senate Judiciary Committee has passed a bill that would allow the public free access to federal court records, in part to ensure people with low incomes have access, some say one of the nation’s wealthiest counties, Fairfax County should do the same for its circuit court. While all other Northern Virginia jurisdictions provide free, remote public access to basic docket information for individual criminal and civil cases in circuit court, Fairfax County’s CPAN system costs $150 per quarter, or $600 per year. Most circuit courts in Virginia provide access to basic docket information through a platform run by Virginia’s Supreme Court. The City of Alexandria provides the basic docket information through its own system.
Inside NoVa

A ransomware attack has forced the shutdown of computer systems and websites for Virginia legislative agencies and commissions, including the Division of Capitol Police and the Division of Legislative Services, which is drafting bills and resolutions for introduction in the upcoming General Assembly session. The attack began on Sunday at the Department of Legislative Automated Systems and has spread to almost all legislative branch websites, except for the Legislative Information System on the General Assembly site. It has not affected executive branch agencies of state government.
Richmond Times-Dispatch

A former Kempsville High School English teacher who claimed she was fired because of her race after teaching a racial stereotypes lesson to students has settled her lawsuit against the Virginia Beach School Board, according to a court document. Deborah Smith filed her complaint in 2019 in U.S. District Court in Norfolk. The case had been scheduled to go to trial this week but settled out of court Monday. The terms of the settlement weren’t disclosed in court documents, and Smith’s attorney, Raymond Hogge, said he was prohibited from discussing them. A spokeswoman for the school board didn’t immediately return a request for comment.
The Virginian-Pilot

There’s a controversy brewing in Portsmouth on who the next city attorney should be. We’re told a majority of the seven council members want a city attorney who the other three think is unqualified. We have confirmed that the candidate is Norfolk attorney Herman C. Smith III, but it’s Smith’s past that seems to be catching up with him involving this appointment. The councilmembers are concerned with what they call a pattern of failing to appear to represent his clients. Smith was also charged with felony obstruction of justice in Norfolk Circuit Court. Court documents show Smith called out a man who testified against his client, calling him a snitch.  Outside the courtroom, Smith was heard saying “Let everybody in Young’s Park know he a snitch.”  In court documents obtained by 10 On Your Side, the exact quote was:  “Yeah, he from Young’s Park. Go out there tonight and tell everybody he a snitch. He a snitch. Go out there and tell everybody he a snitch. He probably gon(na) have to do three years but he gon(na) have to come back. Let everybody in Young’s Park know he a snitch,” documents said.  We don’t know what will happen during a city council work session Tuesday, but there is expected to be a spirited discussion in closed session. 
WAVY
 

Rejected vanity license plates often have objectionable language, sexual innuendo and more. Harmless ones sometimes don’t make the cut, either. Here’s a look at some rejected plates.
The Virginian-Pilot (photo gallery)
 

 

If the Food and Drug Administration had its way, it would take 55 years or longer to fulfill a Freedom of Information Act request to review and release the vast amount of data it has on the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine. You read that right. 55 years. That may sound absurd, but if you’re experienced with FOIA requests to the FDA, as we are, the slow timeline is just more proof that the agency needs a proactive, well-funded data-sharing system to protect public trust and promote scientific research. This is no coverup. This glacial pace is broadly consistent with the FDA’s standard timelines for fulfilling record requests. The FDA does often prioritize more important documents, but complete responses can take years. The agency’s FOIA office is badly backlogged, with more than 3,000 requests outstanding at the end of 2020. The agency routinely fails to meet response deadlines set by Congress.
Christopher J. Morten, Reshma Ramachandran, Joseph S. Ross and Amy Kapczynski, The Washington Post