9
votes
Accepted
FOIA request takes too long
The State Department has what I believe are deliberately awful FOIA processing guidelines, which categorize virtually every request as complex, unless all the requested documents are "readily ...
- 61.8k
9
votes
Where can FOIA requests be found?
Here is an example for Washington state under RCW Ch. 42.56. First, you cannot request "all public records requests", because (RCW 42.56.080)
(1) A public records request must be for ...
- 217k
9
votes
Accepted
Where can FOIA requests be found?
You won't find a single repository of all FOIA requests, but you will find many large repositories of requests:
Muckrock permits users to submit FOIA requests basically anywhere, and then it ...
- 61.8k
5
votes
Are search warrants public records?
Short answer: Maybe.
Long answer: The answer here varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
Normally, the process goes like this: The application for the warrant is usually made under seal or ...
- 61.8k
4
votes
Accepted
Can Donald Trump's Tax Returns be obtained through a Freedom of Information Request?
No, nor can I request a copy of your tax return. See 5 USC 552a. Record maintained on an individual are not subject to disclosure.
- 217k
4
votes
Accepted
May NH police legally keep secret the number of bullets purchased
It is common in state FOI or open access laws to exempt from disclosure records pertaining to police investigations. In some cases police procedures are also exampled. 91-A:5 Exemptions. (included in ...
- 115k
4
votes
Accepted
Do I need permission to publish a FOI response in a blog post or open letter?
They are claiming copyright protection so you cannot copy it unless fair dealing exemptions apply.
However, there is no copyright in facts - only in they way facts are presented. If you present them ...
- 227k
3
votes
Can a FOIA request reveal how many times I have entered the U.S. as a citizen?
As a US Citizen, you don't get a I-94 recording of entries and exits but :
The FOIA site of the CBP, mentions
Information Regarding Entry and Exit
Note: CBP does not have records on the entry and ...
- 2,157
3
votes
Sworn statement from Chief of Staff on President's intent:isn't that hearsay?
You would think so, but no
While at first glance, President Trump sending a staff member to testify under oath in his place (to nullify any personal risk of perjury?) appears to epitomize the concept ...
- 167
3
votes
Are schools required to disclose accurate results of random drug searches?
I don't know of any law requiring schools to proactively disclose the results of these sweeps, but if you asked for them, the Michigan Freedom of Information Act would likely require both the police ...
- 61.8k
2
votes
Accepted
Are lawsuit depositions public record?
The question of whether they are a public record or not is more subtle and complex than it appears with a poorly developed case law (e.g. it goes to the question of whether a third party is allowed to ...
- 240k
2
votes
Obtaining public records in Canada
In general
First, it is true that individual provinces have their own rules governing non-profit organizations, and that federal charities are treated separately from other types of non-profit ...
- 373
2
votes
Accepted
Does the freedom of information act allow for bulk data requests?
I'm assuming you want a database or spreadsheet of traffic citations, and not copies of all the citations so that you can build a database yourself.
Assuming that's correct, and assuming that such a ...
- 61.8k
2
votes
Accepted
Are lawsuit records publicly available?
Generally, when searching for court records, you want to Google with the county name, state and "court" and that will get you the state district court. Of course, if the case was in federal court, try ...
- 19k
2
votes
Accepted
Does legislation around government transparency (e.g. FOIA or Sunshine ordinances) apply to public sector hiring processes?
Can FOIA/Sunshine requests enjoin government offices to disclose
present and future exam or interview questions?
Section 6254(g) in the Chapter Inspection of Public Records states that
this ...
- 45.5k
2
votes
Accepted
Sworn statement from Chief of Staff on President's intent:isn't that hearsay?
Yes, it is hearsay.
Hearsay is an out-of-court statement offered to prove the truth of the matter asserted. Fed. Evid. R. 801.
Trump's statement about what his tweets meant was made out of court, and ...
- 61.8k
2
votes
How can I obtain a NY LLC Biennial Statement?
The report, or at least the information contained in the report (not necessarily an image of the document actually filed) is available here.
- 240k
2
votes
Accepted
Does FOIA apply to computer code?
If the software is a work of the federal government and not, as is usually the case, a licensed copy of contractor-provided software, it is most likely in the public domain. There should be records ...
- 726
2
votes
Accepted
FOIA to Office of Parliamentary Counsel to gain insight to the intentions of statutory minutiae
Any such documents would be protected by parliamentary privilege. See this primer on the interaction between freedom-of-information requests and parliamentary privilege.
[Parliamentary privilege] is ...
- 72.7k
2
votes
Where can FOIA requests be found?
The Department of Justice's Office of Information Policy has information about FOIA requests they've received, including some of the released documents: https://www.justice.gov/oip/available-documents-...
- 129
2
votes
FOIA website - 90% of requests are "Under Agency Review"? What am I missing?
Government compliance with FOIA is notoriously bad. I found the following article in the Duke Law Journal illuminating: FOIA, INC.. There are some eye-opening statistics in there, like p.1375:
At ...
- 22.1k
2
votes
Bizarre boots-on-ground investigation by FBI: transparency and recourse
Is there any way he can gain insight as to what all of this snooping
was driven by?
No. Active law enforcement investigations, especially undercover operations, are exempt from FOIA requests until ...
- 240k
2
votes
Is it now impossible to run a FOIA search?
New website, new look
Just by going to the old website, you are told to "Please submit your FOIA request at FOIA.gov or contact the agency directly."
https://www.foia.gov/ does perfectly ...
- 45.2k
2
votes
FOIA or subpoena for a county sheriff's department?
Because you have not indicated that there is any litigation involving him, Jeff cannot subpoena this information. If Jeff is charged with a crime or is a party to a lawsuit, that person may be able to ...
- 61.8k
1
vote
Does FOIA apply to computer code?
Depends on the state - appears the jury is still out at the federal level.
Take a look at this page on Reports Committee for Freedom of the Press
Some states have explicitly said Software is not a ...
- 1,525
1
vote
Accepted
Specific meaning of "or that is either" in an Arizona law
It seems that the second interpretation is the correct one, the first one was from an old version of the law, it was changed in 2012 to the current text. (the previous text read "Intellectual property ...
- 111
1
vote
What statute or case law provides a right to access by the defendant if represented by appointed counsel?
Does Bob have a right to be presented such evidence or obtain a copy before a pre-trial conference, without his lawyer's co-operation?
Bob can't both be represented by a lawyer and represent himself ...
- 28.2k
1
vote
What statute or case law provides a right to access by the defendant if represented by appointed counsel?
Let's start with:
Bob's lawyer does not appear to be co-operating with Bob's wish to request the video.
Bob's lawyer does not have latitude to "not cooperate" with Bob. Bob is the client, ...
- 7,699
1
vote
Can you be added to a watch list for asking?
There have been claims of government watch lists, some substantiated and some not, for decades. There is a specific database that does exist, the Terrorist Screening Database, which feeds almost a ...
- 217k
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