by Toni A. Otokunrin on April 27, 2026
posted in
Law Enforcement, Municipal Law, Public Records Act, Recent Court Decisions,
Agencies are increasingly adopting law enforcement technology that increases the efficiency, transparency and safety of investigations. However, these technologies also create time consuming and costly burdens. Police departments have begun using tools like body-worn cameras, license plate peaders (LPRs) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or drones), which provide important advantages. These tools allow distanced assessments to ensure the appropriate resources are dispatched and increase investigation efficiency. These tools also create records which implicate the California Public Records Act ... Continue Reading
tags:
Body Worn Cameras, CPRA, Government Code Section 7923.600(a), Law Enforcement Technology, New laws, Public Records Act,
by Kelly M. Doyle on March 18, 2026
posted in
Administrative Regulations, Brown Act, Legislative Updates, Meetings, Municipal Law,
Recognizing the utility of employing online meeting platforms for public meetings under the Ralph M. Brown Act, California’s open meeting law, lawmakers recently approved legislation that would require certain public agencies to provide the public with both online and telephonic options at public meetings, among other requirements. This legislation, Senate Bill 707 (María Elena Durazo, D-Los Angeles), aims to modernize the Brown Act’s teleconferencing provisions while expanding the public’s access to local government meetings.
Scope
Many of the sweeping changes authorized by SB 707 ... Continue Reading
tags:
Brown Act, Hybrid meetings, Public meetings,
by Sarah B. Levett on October 8, 2025
posted in
Litigation, Municipal Law,
Vexatious litigants are especially vexing for public entities, which have an obligation to carefully steward finite amounts of tax dollars and which are frequently targeted by individuals alleging shadowy government conspiracies. Ordinarily, when a self-represented litigant who meets one or more of the criteria set forth in Code of Civil Procedure Section 391(b) files suit, their classification and treatment as vexatious is straightforward. The issue becomes less straightforward, however, when the litigant is not the plaintiff but the defendant. This scenario can arise in the context of code enforcement ... Continue Reading
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