Public records

Defiant and refusing to step down, embattled Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick continues to assert that records showing public funds financed an $8.4 million settlement between the city and terminated police officers are not public records.  The deal included a confidentiality agreement forbidding the three officers from discussing text messages exchanged between Kilpatrick and former chief of staff and alleged paramour Christ

Dale County Circuit Judge P.B. McLauchlin may be the first judge in the state of Alabama to determine whether a teacher’s personnel file should be made open to the public.

The Dothan Eagle submitted two requests to the Ozark City Schools for records pertaining to disciplinary action against middle school teacher Melinda Fenn. Last year, Fenn was given 25 days of unpaid leave for exposing a student’s medical disability to other students.

A Duval County grand jury decided that while the Jacksonville City Council did violate parts of Florida’s Sunshine Law by holding dozens of private and undocumented meetings, there was no actual illegal activity that occurred.

A Florida Times-Union investigation led to the revelation of these clandestine meetings where public business was addressed. The city’s contracts to companies linked to friends of Mayor John Peyton were also examined under the investigation.

When it comes to one of the more bizarre FOIA b(6) redactions you'll ever see, a picture will speak much more effectively than words for this post:  have a look at the photo in this CNN.com article.

Pennsylvania House Republicans forced a six-day delay of a vote on the Senate-backed open records bill currently before the chamber.

Supporters of the delay said they hoped the extra time would let them re-work the bill, which passed the Senate unanimously last week.

Following a judge's ruling Tuesday morning, Detroit citizens will now get to view more of the sordid details of their mayor's recent affair and the secret settlement deal reached with two of his former bodyguards that gave the men $8.4 million of city funds to walk away and keep quiet about it.

Numerous FOIA requests submitted to a local school district and one to the county prosecuting attorney’s office by the Times Record in Fort Smith, Ark., resulted in the revelation of a junior high teacher’s record of sexual misconduct.

Last week, the Pennsylvania Senate unanimously approved a bill that proponents argue would vastly improve the state's current open records law. Supporters of the bill are hopeful that after a year-long process of modifications, it would quickly be approved by the state House and proceed to Gov. Ed Rendell's desk.

However, the bill is still in the House with no telling when a decision will be reached.

A Wisconsin newspaper won its appeal of an open-records case involving a heated 2006 race for county sheriff.

The Portage Daily Register filed suit against the Columbia County Sheriff’s Department after it had denied its 2006 request for a report about possible illegal campaign fliers in the sheriff’s re-election campaign.

A conservative public interest group is in federal court attempting to force the National Archives to release documents relating to a special health care task force overseen by Hillary Rodham Clinton when she was first lady significantly faster than the agency says is possible.