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Governments Turn Tables By Suing Public Records Requesters (apnews.com)
schwit1 quotes the AP:
Government bodies are increasingly turning the tables on citizens who seek public records that might be embarrassing or legally sensitive. Instead of granting or denying their requests, a growing number of school districts, municipalities and state agencies have filed lawsuits against people making the requests -- taxpayers, government watchdogs and journalists who must then pursue the records in court at their own expense.
The lawsuits generally ask judges to rule that the records being sought do not have to be divulged. They name the requesters as defendants but do not seek damage awards. Still, the recent trend has alarmed freedom-of-information advocates, who say it's becoming a new way for governments to hide information, delay disclosure and intimidate critics. "This practice essentially says to a records requester, 'File a request at your peril,'" said University of Kansas journalism professor Jonathan Peters, who wrote about the issue for the Columbia Journalism Review in 2015, before several more cases were filed. "These lawsuits are an absurd practice and noxious to open government."
The lawsuits generally ask judges to rule that the records being sought do not have to be divulged. They name the requesters as defendants but do not seek damage awards. Still, the recent trend has alarmed freedom-of-information advocates, who say it's becoming a new way for governments to hide information, delay disclosure and intimidate critics. "This practice essentially says to a records requester, 'File a request at your peril,'" said University of Kansas journalism professor Jonathan Peters, who wrote about the issue for the Columbia Journalism Review in 2015, before several more cases were filed. "These lawsuits are an absurd practice and noxious to open government."
"It's interesting to see how American institutions, politics, and bureaucracy, are steadily on the decline, both from within and without."
I agree, and it started about 8.5 years ago. It remains to be seen if the steps we took in the last election can make a correction and return the US to rule of law and public transparency and accountability.
If you disagree, please post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like
The ACLU's largest push this last year is to protect rioting. Not protests, but riots that injure people and burn down property. Be careful of those "unified bodies".
You mean the American Criminal Liberties Union?
If you aren't a criminal minority they don't give a shit about you and your rights.