Tehachapi City Takes Legal Action Against Water District Over Public Records Request

Tehachapi, California – The city of Tehachapi has taken legal action against the Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District, accusing the district of withholding public records. The city filed a lawsuit on December 11, which was finally served on January 11. The city’s petition, filed in Kern County Superior Court, seeks to compel the water district to produce the requested documents. While court records still indicated that the lawsuit remained unserved as of Friday, the water district’s General Manager, Tom Neisler, confirmed that they had indeed received the petition. City spokesperson, Key Budge, explained that the delayed … Read more

St. Louis Police Chief Faces Pushback in Withholding Bodycam Video After Crash into South City Bar

St. Louis, MO – The police chief of St. Louis is facing scrutiny for his refusal to release bodycam footage following a police SUV crash into a South City bar. Chief Robert Tracy cited state laws and the Sunshine Law as the reasons behind his decision. According to state law, police can withhold body camera footage if its release would jeopardize an ongoing criminal investigation or put a confidential informant at risk. However, in this particular case involving the crash at Bar:PM, a gay bar owned by Chad Morris and James Spence, there is no … Read more

Lawsuit Against State Utility Rule Continues as Plaintiffs Shift Focus to City of Gainesville

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – A lawsuit challenging a new state law that restructured the municipal utility in the Gainesville area is moving forward, despite the dismissal of Gov. Ron DeSantis as a defendant last month. The group Gainesville Residents United and six individual plaintiffs are now seeking to include the city of Gainesville as a defendant in the case. The law, which was passed during the previous legislative session, established the Gainesville Regional Utilities Authority as a replacement for the longstanding Gainesville Regional Utilities agency. Under the new law, the governor has the power to … Read more

Jonesboro Mayor’s Lawsuit Against City Council Nears Settlement

Jonesboro, Arkansas – The lawsuit filed by Jonesboro Mayor Donya Sartor against the City Council in September appears to be nearing a settlement, according to Jonesboro City Attorney Winston Denmark. The lawsuit was filed on the same day that the City Council approved the appointment of attorney Tracy Lawson to conduct an independent administrative investigation into allegations raised against Sartor. The investigative report was later submitted to the City Council, and a special meeting was scheduled to release the report. However, the meeting was canceled after a temporary restraining order was signed, preventing the report … Read more