Spurred by fears that images and sounds from the Newtown massacre would wind up on the Internet or in a rumored Michael Moore documentary, Connecticut lawmakers hastily passed a law last June that prohibits the release of any homicide scene Continue reading Post-Newtown Privacy Legislation Panned By CBA
By James H. Smith, retired editor and president of the non-profit Connecticut Council on Freedom of Information When Connecticut legislators met in secret last session, working with the families of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings, they came Continue reading Legislative task force in Conn. adopts look, listen but do not copy (without a trip to the commission) rule
The biggest threat to freedom of information in Connecticut resides at the moment on the Task Force on Victim Privacy and the Public’s Right to Know. The task force is supposed to advise the legislature by 12/31/13 on it’s hastily Continue reading Expert Testimony for the Task Force on Victim Privacy and the Public’s Right to Know
In the wake of the Sandy Hook tragedy, it’s understandable that government officials may look for quick fixes, especially those that might relieve some of the victims’ anguish. But emotion-charged quick fixes and knee-jerk responses often bring devastating unintended consequences. Continue reading Victim’s Rights Can’t Trump Necessity of Transparency
Editorial The Hartford Courant6:36 p.m. EDT, October 21, 2013 State investigators should release the full report on the Newtown school shooting if they want to stop details from leaking, to quiet conspiracy theorists and to help the state… For the Continue reading Release The Sandy Hook Report
By JAMES H. SMITH | OP-ED The Hartford Courant 5:45 p.m. EDT, September 27, 2013 Since 1975 when Connecticut adopted its Freedom of Information law and was hailed as the leader in the nation for open government, state and local Continue reading OP-ED Releasing Newtown 911 Tapes Right Call
by Hugh McQuaid | Sep 4, 2013 5:10pm Crime victims question whether it’s government accountability or curiosity that drives the disclosure of crime records, a victim advocate attorney told a state panel on transparency and privacy Wednesday. The task force Continue reading Is It Curiosity Or Government Accountability?
Wednesday, August 21, 2013, 11:00 am, Legislative Office Building, Room 1C Meeting of: Task Force on Victim Privacy and The Public’s Right to Know Members Present: Representative Arce, Co-Chair, Don DeCesare, Co-Chair, Garvin G. Ambrose, Reuben F. Bradford, Leonard Boyle Continue reading Task Force on Victim Privacy and The Public’s Right to Know – Minutes 08/21/13
Wednesday, September 4, 2013 at 11:00 am Legislative Office Building, Room 1E I. Convene Meeting II. Approval of Minutes from Meeting from August 21, 2013 Meeting III. Introductory Remarks by Co-Chairs a. Angel Arce, State Representative b. Don DeCesare, Continue reading Task Force on Victim Privacy and the Public’s Right to Know – Meeting Agenda
