Encrypted Information Exchange
  • Home
  • FAQ
  • Videos
  • About Us
    • Partners
  • News
  • White Paper
  • Law
    • Articles
  • Government
    • Government Law Cases
    • Public Record Map
    • Government Newsletter Archive
    • Sign Up for Email Updates
  • Financial
    • Financial Transaction Articles
  • Contact
  • Users
  • Home
  • FAQ
  • Videos
  • About Us
    • Partners
  • News
  • White Paper
  • Law
    • Articles
  • Government
    • Government Law Cases
    • Public Record Map
    • Government Newsletter Archive
    • Sign Up for Email Updates
  • Financial
    • Financial Transaction Articles
  • Contact
  • Users

Government Law Cases

Judge Rules Former DA Acted in Bad Faith When Deleting Text Messages and Emails

4/21/2020

0 Comments

 
​Former San Bernardino County District Attorney Mike Ramos acted in bad faith when he deleted text messages and emails pertinent to litigation against the county. The judge ruled Ramos had a duty to preserve emails and text messages. Read more:  ​https://www.sbsun.com/2020/04/21/judges-agree-former-san-bernardino-county-da-deleted-emails-and-texts-in-bad-faith/
0 Comments

Massachusetts Law for Records Under the Freedom of Information Act Request

1/29/2020

0 Comments

 
The state of Massachusetts includes all records of electronic communications - including text messages - as items subject to a request under the Freedom of Information Act Request. The state law view's text messaging as an electronic record of dialogue that can be entered as evidence in court. Read more: ​https://patch.com/massachusetts/falmouth/text-messaging-raises-municipal-legal-requirements-massachusetts
0 Comments

Fontenac, KS Withholding Records Requested under Kansas Open Records Act (KORA)

1/22/2020

0 Comments

 
For many months, public record requests put in by local newspapers have gone unanswered by the City of Frontenac leading a transparency watchdog group to suggest the law needs to be changed. The issue began when the city council fired three public officials at a meeting without any prior discussion.
​Read more: https://www.morningsun.net/news/20200122/transparency-watchdog-urges-law-change-as-frontenac-continues-withholding-records
0 Comments

Former State Agency Director Sues Arkansas Department of Transportation and Shared Services Over Release of Text Messages

1/10/2020

0 Comments

 
​Former State Agency Director sues to stop of text messages he sent on his then-state-issued cellphone to a vendor's representative. The messages were requested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act based on questions about three state projects totaling $8.2 million with the vendor.
​Read more: https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2020/jan/10/ex-staffer-with-state-sues-to-get-text-/
0 Comments

Venice City Council Set To Vote on Final Judgement Over Sunshine Law Violations

1/9/2020

0 Comments

 
​The city council in Venice, Florida will vote on whether to approve a consent final judgment to settle a lawsuit  over the city’s inability to produce text messages. The consent agreement would cost the city $45,321 in attorney fees and court costs.
Read more: 
https://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20200109/venice-to-vote-on-sunshine-lawsuit-settlement
0 Comments

Tallahassee, FL to Vote on Contract to Archive Public Records

12/3/2019

0 Comments

 
The Sunshine Law requires cities to retain public records and make them accessible. Tallahassee outsources this job and is voting to sign a contract extension with their current vendor. The extended contract would cost a maximum of $320,000 per year to archive emails, text messages, and social media feeds.
Read more: https://tallahasseereports.com/2019/12/03/the-florida-sunshine-law-isnt-free/
0 Comments

Federal Judge Finds use of Ephemeral Messaging App by Defendant as Evidence of Bad Faith and Sanctionable

12/2/2019

0 Comments

 
​Lawyers advising their clients on texting messaging should be wary of ephemeral messaging apps options. In a recent Arkansas case, the court found that the use of Signal was evidence of bad faith sufficient to warrant sanctions.
Read more: https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/how-ephemeral-messaging-can-affect-55581/
0 Comments

Missouri State Auditor Ignores Possible Sunshine Law Transgressions of Former Governor

11/27/2019

0 Comments

 
​As state auditor, Nicole Galloway regularly focuses on Sunshine Law issues in state and local government, but during a recent audit of former Gov. Eric Greitens her office ignored possible Sunshine Law transgressions. In an interview with The Star newspaper, the state auditor said her office did not look at Greitens use of the self-destructing text message application Confide because of current  litigation. Read more: ​https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article237661859.html
0 Comments

Lawyers Raise Issue with Vanishing Text Message Apps

11/22/2019

0 Comments

 
As vanishing message apps, such as Snapchat, Wickr, WhatsApp, and Signal grow in popularity, businesses and attorneys must decide if they should allow use of the apps because the auto-delete functionality can trap companies in e-discovery disputes.
​Read more: https://biglawbusiness.com/vanishing-messages-muddle-e-discovery-for-attorneys-judges
0 Comments

Vero Beach, Florida Needs Updated Open Government Lessons

11/22/2019

0 Comments

 
​Vero Beach,  Florida requires an annual lesson in open government laws at the City Council’s organizational meeting, but the recent presentation leaves out text messages and social meeting postings.
​Read more: https://www.tcpalm.com/story/opinion/columnists/laurence-reisman/2019/11/22/yes-mr-vero-beach-city-attorney-texts-social-media-posts-public-records-too/4251920002/
0 Comments

Seminar on Florida’s Open Meetings and Public Records Laws

11/10/2019

0 Comments

 
The News-Journal and the First Amendment Foundation are sponsoring a seminar on Florida's open meetings and public record laws to in order to show the public that the Florida Sunshine Laws are there to protect everyone’s right to know. 
Read more: https://www.news-journalonline.com/opinion/20191110/pat-rice-let-sunshine-in-on-nov-22
0 Comments

Leander, TX to Hire New Position to Fill Open Records Requests

11/8/2019

0 Comments

 
Due to the increase in number of open records requests being made in Leander, TX, the City Council voted to hire an additional deputy city secretary. The new hire will assist with fulfilling open records requests. The public can request everything from contracts to text messages. This information falls under the Texas Public Information Act, meaning the public has the right to view it.  Read more:​https://communityimpact.com/austin/cedar-park-leander/government/2019/11/08/influx-in-open-records-requests-spurs-leander-to-hire-new-position-update-processes/
0 Comments

Destin, Florida Sued Over Public Record Violations

10/31/2019

0 Comments

 
​A lawsuit filed against Destin alleges that city officials violated the state’s public record law by failing to produce requested text messages. An attorney representing a local business stated in their early October court filing that on May 30 their client had requested multiple public records from the city of Destin including text messages. So far this request has not been fulfilled.
Read more: ​https://www.thedestinlog.com/news/20191031/destin-sued-over-public-records
0 Comments

Metro County President Appears to have Violated Oregon's Public Record Laws

10/30/2019

0 Comments

 
Metro Council President texted about government business on her personal phone. Her cell phone was set to automatically delete messages after 30 days, so these messages were deleted and she failed to retain records of them. Read more: ​https://www.wweek.com/news/state/2019/10/30/metro-council-president-lynn-peterson-texted-about-public-business-from-her-private-phone-and-deleted-the-texts/
0 Comments

Colorado Research Reveals Loopholes in State's Open Records Act

10/26/2019

0 Comments

 
A new report from the state Freedom of Information Coalition shows that the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) offer government officials broad discretion over when to keep or delete the recorded history of public business including emails and text messages. In addition, many Colorado officials are currently utilizing apps like Confide and Signal, which offer users a function that deletes messages once they’ve been read so no records are retained. 
​Read more: https://www.denverpost.com/2019/10/26/colorado-open-records-confide-signal/
0 Comments

Text "Joke" Causes Trouble in Arkansas House Seat Race

10/25/2019

0 Comments

 
​Text messages from a planning board member to candidate for Arkansas House District 53 Republican primary, appear to promise a $20,000 scholarship for candidate's daughter if he drops out of the race and endorses opponent. Both parties later claim it was a joke.
​Read more: ​https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2019/oct/25/texts-raise-cloud-in-house-seat-race-20/
0 Comments

Recent Colorado Open Records Act Report Addresses Retention of Text and Email Messages

10/24/2019

0 Comments

 
A recent report done by the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition provides recommendations for addressing the state's inadequate records retention practices for electronic messages. Read the article here: ​https://www.muckrock.com/news/archives/2019/oct/24/colorado-cfoic-retention-report/
0 Comments

Takeaways From Ohio News Media Association Webinar on Challenges Faced by Journalists When Seeking Public Records

10/23/2019

0 Comments

 
A Cincinnati law firm hosted a webinar addressing difficulties with response to records request, read about the takeaways: ​https://www.thenews-messenger.com/story/news/local/2019/10/23/ohio-public-records-laws-delay-denial-attorney-says/4069564002/
0 Comments

Fired Administrator Asks Court to Assess Fines Against Council Member for Violating Iowa's Open Meetings Laws and More

10/21/2019

0 Comments

 
Ex-Windsor Heights, Iowa administrator contends a councilwoman created a hostile work environment​and that the city council made efforts to bypass Iowa's open meetings laws. Read more: https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/local/windsor-heights/2019/10/21/windsor-heights-ex-administrator-files-wrongful-termination-lawsuit/4053400002/
0 Comments

Washington D.C. Mayor's Staff Using WhatsApp for Communication

10/9/2019

0 Comments

 
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser's staff and aides have admitted to using the message service WhatsApp to conduct business. This is concerning because the app destroys messages after a specific amount of time and the messages cannot be preserved. Read more: https://dcist.com/story/19/10/09/staff-for-mayor-muriel-bowser-use-whatsapp-raising-concerns-about-open-records/

0 Comments

Maryland Agencies Acknowledge Struggle to Comply with Public Record Requests

10/8/2019

0 Comments

 
A survey done by Maryland's public access ombudsman showed several cabinet-level agencies lacked policies for retaining certain kinds of records that are covered by the Maryland Public Information Act, such as emails and text messages.
​Read more: https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/investigations/bs-md-pol-public-information-study-20191008-c64yd5t3e5eafk2leol34ehgq4-story.html
0 Comments

Missouri Governor's Office Paid $340,000 in Attorney Fees For Governor's Confide Case

10/5/2019

0 Comments

 
Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens’ use of the self-destructing text message app Confide, has cost the  governor’s office $340,000 so far on private attorneys. Read more: ​https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article235795407.html
0 Comments

Communication Between Ann Arbor City Council Members and Residents Ruled Not Exempt from FOIA

9/25/2019

0 Comments

 
Ann Arbor, MI resident requested records of city council members communication with resident Pat Lesko since the beginning of the year, including emails, texts and direct messages over social media. A judge ruled that these messages are part of the public record and need to be provided. Read more: https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2019/09/residents-emails-to-ann-arbor-city-officials-are-public-record-judge-rules.html
0 Comments

Text Messages Show South Carolina Governor Involvement in USC Presidential Search

9/19/2019

0 Comments

 
Documents show that South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster and his staff were in frequent contact with board members to hire Robert Caslen to be the next president of the University of South Carolina. Read more: ​https://www.thestate.com/news/local/education/article235181197.html
0 Comments

New Texas Public Record Law Adds New Text Messaging Rules

9/17/2019

0 Comments

 
Government offices in Texas are working to figure out how a new Public Record Law applies to them.  The new law makes any related text messages subject to public scrutiny. The law applies to messages sent on work or personal devices. Read more: ​https://www.wacotrib.com/news/government/new-law-adds-requirements-for-text-messages-about-government-business/article_1685f576-a1a6-5ea9-b0a5-db76599e7abc.html
0 Comments
<<Previous

    Author

    Write something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview.

    Archives

    April 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    February 2018
    March 2016
    January 2016

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Home
Contact
EULA
Privacy Policy
Email Us

​© 2021 Encrypted Information Exchange, LLC.