Newspapers Mass to Back McKee Brown Act Case

Less than two weeks after the death of CalAware's founding president, Rich McKee, more than 100 California newspapers have joined in a friend of the court brief supporting the lawsuit he filed last year to challenge the lawfulness of 30 or so unannounced but official luncheon meetings of the Tulare County Board of Supervisors, held in 2009 but since discontinued.

That action was found wanting by the local superior court, which without any precedent or serious analysis concluded that the taxpayer-supported gatherings, often held on the same day but prior to the regular open meetings of the board, involved discussions of office management issues not important enough to merit the public scrutiny required by the Brown Act. The case is now before the California Court of Appeal's Fifth District in Fresno.

Since McKee filed the action, the California Newspaper Publishers Association and two local daily newspapers, the Tulare Advance-Register and the Visalia Times-Delta, joined as co-plaintiffs.

Attorneys with California's largest media law firm, Davis Wright Tremaine of Los Angeles and San Francisco, waived their fees for preparing and filing the amicus curiae brief.  The First Amendment Coalition recruited newspapers large and small throughout the state to lend their names to it.

Those familiar with media amicus briefs say they have never before seen such a widespread show of support. "It's not unknown for a dozen or so news organizations to provide amicus brief backup to a case involving access to courts or court records, particularly involving secrecy in criminal prosecutions," said CalAware General Counsel Terry Francke. "But a Brown Act case? This lineup is astounding, and I'm sure Rich would be delighted to see his militancy for grassroots-level transparency getting such universal respect."

Comments

[B. Cayenne Bird]

Hooray! Let's see an end to the restricted media ban into the prisons. Under SB 151 the prison guards are getting hundreds of millions of our tax dollars in raises/benefits. 22,000 teachers are being fired. Another $7.7 billion in new prison building is still on the drawing boards under AB 900. Brown has the teachers out working for tax increases that will go to build more prisons. We could save $12 billion by releasing the non-violent prisoners who are getting out anyway. That would eliminate the need for the new prisons which will cost additional billions to operate. Get the press back into the prisons! There is torture and murder taking place by the guards and Brown still holds no one accountable.

[records management company]

Wow! I really didn't knew about that! I really think it's amazing to see how all the media people joined together for this one...

[giubbotti belstaff outlets]

I "like" you on Facebook. Would love these for my oldest boy!