National Lawyers Guild v. City of Hayward (California Court of Appeal)
The Reporters Committee and seven media organizations filed an amicus brief with the California Court of Appeal in National Lawyers Guild v. City of Hayward. The National Lawyers Guild requested police body-worn camera footage. The City agreed, but required more than $3000 in fees for “extracting” the relevant disclosable footage. The trial court held that the fees related to redacting body-worn camera footage cannot be passed on to the requester. The amicus brief urges the Court to affirm the trial court’s ruling. It argues that agencies are creating more electronic records, and a ruling to the contrary would limit the public’s access to all types of electronic records, contrary to the CPRA and California Constitution. It also highlights the importance of public access to body-worn camera footage in fostering public trust.