Withheld

Portland City Council Settles Lawsuit Over Withheld Text Messages with $167,000 Payment

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Portland, Oregon – The Portland City Council has agreed to pay almost $167,000 to settle a lawsuit that accused the city and Mayor Ted Wheeler of withholding a large number of text messages from a public records request. The lawsuit followed an investigation that found Wheeler and other city officials regularly violated city policy by using iMessage on their city-issued iPhones. The city’s public records software at the time was unable to access iMessages. The state public records law mandates that government officials preserve all written communication, including text messages and emails, and provide them … Read more

San Diego’s Shocking Civil Rights Lawsuit: Violent Police Abuse, Withheld Evidence, and a Costly Battle

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San Diego, California – The case of Mickail Myles against the County of San Diego has emerged as one of the most shocking and costly lawsuits in the county’s history. The incident began with a routine traffic stop ten years ago and escalated into allegations of excessive force, racial bias, and a lack of accountability within the San Diego Sheriff’s Department. Myles, who is Black, was pulled over, handcuffed, and beaten by a sheriff’s deputy. The same deputy then unleashed his police dog on Myles, despite other deputies testifying that Myles had been cooperating. In … Read more