The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has agreed to take up the question of whether a district attorney's office is a judicial agency under the state's open records law, granting Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller's petition for an appeal.
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Read More… from Pa. Justices to Eye Centre County DA’s Open Records Case
With the public demanding greater access to police documents and videos, two cases in the Lehigh Valley area could help shape legal precedent about what records must be released.
A Northampton County judge will decide whether the public is entitled to see complaints filed by citizens against a police officer. That case stems from a Bethlehem resident's request for complaint and disciplinary records about a Bethlehem officer.
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Read More… from PA: Public wants police complaint records, videos
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Police dash camera videos that are routinely released in other states could become more available for public view in Pennsylvania under a case argued Wednesday before the state Supreme Court.
A state police lawyer voiced strong opposition, saying existing law largely prevents disclosure and warning a change in policy could be costly for police agencies, compromise investigations and expose details about private citizens against their wishes.
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Read More… from PA: Court weighs when public can view state police videos
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has lost its attempt to block state agencies from permanently deleting emails after five days.
The state Supreme Court on Monday upheld a Commonwealth Court decision from July that rejected the newspaper’s argument that emails should be retained.
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Pennsylvania is renewing its commitment to transparency.
On April 18, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, who assumed office in January, signed an executive order to create an open data portal. The new portal is mandated to contain downloadable, machine-readable data, a feature not offered by the state’s existing transparency site called PennWATCH. The state Office of Administration is also mandated to help agencies find their most valuable data sets.
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While news organizations, good government groups and – hopefully – public-minded citizens were commemorating right-to-know and open-meetings laws during Sunshine Week last month, clouds of obstruction were forming over the Pennsylvania State Capitol in the form of House Bill 1310.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Maria Donatucci, D-Philadelphia, would prohibit release of so-called "identifying information" in 911 calls. That would include the name, telephone number, address and location associated with any call.
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Read More… from Editorial: Pennsylvania is moving backwards on government transparency
Back when Terry Mutchler was spending late nights at The Daily Collegian or rushing across campus to make an 8 a.m. class, she never imagined she would someday return to speak at Penn State.
On Wednesday, the 1993 graduate, an expert in open government and freedom of information matters, returned to do just that.
Mutchler leads the transparency practice at Philadelphia’s Pepper Hamilton law firm. The firm is at the center of document issues in multiple lawsuits related to the Jerry Sandusky case.
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Read More… from Pennsylvania open government expert discusses transparency, confidentiality
Thirteen days ago, lawmakers in the state House passed a bill to shield a police officer’s name when a firearm is discharged or he uses force while on duty — without defining what the “use of force” might include — unless the officer is charged with a crime.
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A Pennsylvania House committee gave an overwhelming thumbs-up to a bill Tuesday that would make it illegal for public officials to release the names of cops who shoot civilians until an “official investigation” is completed.
The panel passed the legislation unanimously.
Republican State. Rep. Martina White, a freshman lawmaker from Philadelphia, introduced the bill.
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Read More… from Pennsylvania bill makes it illegal to ID officers who shoot civilians
The director of the state Office of Open Records cannot be removed by the governor without cause, Pennsylvania’s highest court ruled this week in a decision that will keep in place the executive director fired early this year by Gov. Tom Wolf.
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Read More… from State Supreme Court: Governor couldn’t fire Pennsylvania open records head
