California’s
Awareness
In short, Californians Aware is a center for information, guidance and initiatives in public forum law.
CalAware’s prompt and expert legal advice not only helps me do my job, but helps me pass on that expertise to readers who are facing their own barriers to public access.
Thy Vo, Reporter, San Jose Mercury News
CalAware has been a tremendous resource to both me personally and our news organization. It is often the first entity we call when looking for sources or counsel on Brown Act and First Amendment issues, and has contributed mightily to our award winning coverage of Humboldt County. We are very grateful to have CalAware to turn to.
Thadeus Greenson, News Editor, North Coast Journal
I’m a newspaper reporter and a government watchdog in Dixon. I’m a member of CalAware, and it helped me understand my rights as a reporter and as citizen in order to hold government accountable and keep them open and transparent.
Ourania Riddle, Dixon
of public officials in state and local government
“Sunshine is the greatest disinfectant” -- Louis Brandeis The COVID-19 pandemic has provided a vehicle for allowing government to create roadblocks,intentional and otherwise, for the public to participate and obtain information on howgovernment agencies are addressing...
by JW August, President Emeritus, CalAware “He stood up for folks who could not stand up for themselves”— Donna Frye, CalAware Board Member “Tim set a standard for journalists” — Bill Spencer, retired newspaper editor. Journalist Tim Crews was old school. His tools...
December 3, 2019 Dear CalAware Today Subscriber, I’m counting on you to help realize our growth fund and its capacity building goals by reaching out to the next generation. Thanks to your initial show of support we’ve been to able to satisfy our first goal—the $2,500...
August 29, 2019 CalAware’s New Public Interest Initiatives Dear CalAware Today Subscriber, We really appreciate the continuing interest and support you’ve shown in our efforts to help Californians—voters, taxpayers, public officials and employees, and journalists—to...
by JW August, President Emeritus, Californians Aware Legal tactics increasingly deployed in California are denying journalists and others the prompt access to government information that the California Public Records Act (CPRA) is supposed to provide. And it happens...
Times of San Diego | Jan 11, 2019
Feasting on catered tacos last Saturday, 40 current and former members of UFCW Local 135 and spouses celebrated the dawn of a new year and the destruction of an old foe — Mickey Kasparian...
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San Francisco Chronicle | Dec 19, 2018
The California Supreme Court agreed Wednesday to decide an issue of importance to anyone seeking police body camera videos or other electronic records from government agencies: whether the fees for those records can include the sometimes sizable costs of removing confidential material before releasing the rest...
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Government Technology | Dec 7, 2018
California Secretary of State Alex Padilla is refusing to turn over public documents that could shed light on problems with the state’s Motor Voter program, which launched earlier this year to automatically register people to vote when they visit the Department of Motor Vehicles...
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Daily Breeze | Oct 5, 2018
Inglewood Police Chief Mark Fronterotta collected an extra $61,000 last year that was not authorized by the city’s charter, the City Council or his employment agreement, according to an investigation by the Southern California News Group...
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MuckRock | Oct 1, 2018
For 40 years, broad exemptions in the California Public Records Law blocked access to law enforcement records. This week, Governor Jerry Brown signed into law two new pieces of legislation that...
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CalAware has joined the Los Angeles Times in suing Metrolink, the Los Angeles area transportation agency, challenging the legality of an emergency teleconference meeting that Metrolink’s Board of Directors held in September 2015, where it discussed a single item of...
Petition for writ of mandates asks court to void a severance award of $400,000 to the retiring district president, mislabeling the closed sessions in which it was improperly approved as dealing with "anticipated litigation." Brown Act Case: CalAware v. Pasadena Area...
Los Angeles Superior Count Judge declares null and void an agreement by the Pasadena Area Community College board to pay its outgoing president more than $400,000 in settlement of his litigation claim. The reason: the board refused to disclose the fact of the claim as...
Petition filed asking court to order City of Baldwin Park to release documentation justifying its share of the proceeds of civil asset forfeiture seizures of cash and property from those suspected of criminal activity Public Records Act suit against Baldwin Park by...
Lawsuit commenced under California Public Records Act to force disclosure of schedule/planning document showing future potential agenda items for city council consideration. CalAware v. City of Salinas -- Petition by Terry Francke on Scribd
