Arizona transparency headlines
From Sunshine Review
This article is a list of transparency related news from Arizona.
Sheriff's Office told to pay fees in lawsuit
December 19, 2008: The Arizona Court of Appeals on Thursday told the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office that it had to pay legal fees for a lawsuit over failing to produce public records in a timely manner.
A lower court had awarded the fees to the Tucson Citizen newspaper, even though the Sheriff's Office maintained that the initial records request had been made to a different agency.
But the court determined that Sheriff's Office had delayed disclosure of the records to the Citizen and ordered the office to pay more than $25,000. Read the full article here.
Judge rejects letting RTA check '06 ballots
December 17, 2008: The ballots from the 2006 regional transportation election will not be made available for public-records requests, a Pima County Superior Court judge has ruled.
Judge Charles Harrington denied a public-records request for the ballots, made by the Regional Transportation Authority to the Pima County treasurer earlier this year. The treasurer is the county official in charge of ballot storage after an election. Read the full article here.
RTA asks judge to make '06 ballots public
December 11, 2008: The regional transportation plan and sales-tax ballots have been in secure storage for more than 2 1/2 years.
But an attorney for the Regional Transportation Authority argued in court Wednesday that the ballots, which normally should have been destroyed two years ago, instead should be made available for inspection just like any other public record.
The RTA is hoping Pima County Superior Court Judge Charles Harrington will release copies of the ballots so it can put to rest years of allegations about the validity of the election. Read the full article here.
Maricopa County supervisor indicted on 118 counts
Resident seeks access to Q.C. training videos
November 12, 2008: A Queen Creek resident is appealing to the state's public records ombudsman after town officials declined her request to release a training video of the mayor, council and town staff.
Town officials declined resident Cynthia Buffington's request to obtain a copy of videotaped mock interviews made during a training session on how to deal with the media due to privacy interests of the individuals involved, according to an e-mail exchange between Buffington and the town's clerk. Read the full article here.
City of Mesa owes former mayor $167,000
November 8, 2008: The city of Mesa owes a former mayor $167,000 for violating public records law and has to turn over requested documents within seven days, according to an official judgment Friday.
The final order was less than the judge's initial ruling three months ago.
Judge William Acey in August found Mesa city officials incorrectly handled requests for 172 records the former mayor and councilwoman, Donna Zink, made over a 2 1/2-year period. Read the full article here.
Nelson renews calls for release of New Times arrest documents
October 30, 2008: Maricopa County attorney candidate Tim Nelson kept up his call for the release of records related to the arrest of New Times publishers Mike Lacey and Jim Larkin, holding a press conference at Arizona Democratic Party headquarters Thursday to demand the office of incumbent county attorney Andrew Thomas reveal the records. Read the full article here.
Nelson demands SCA records from Thomas; Thomas office says they don't exist
October 23, 2008: The office of Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas will tell the lawyer for the Tim Nelson campaign that it has no records of any communications between anyone in it and SCA, the anonymous Mesa group whose contributions to the Arizona Republican Party allegedly went toward funding an ad attacking Nelson.
On Tuesday, the campaign of Tim Nelson, who is running to unseat Thomas, says it sent a public records request to the offices of Thomas and Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio regarding the ad. Read the full article here.
Vasquez used work computer to send info on rival
October 16, 2008: Pinal County Sheriff Chris Vasquez used his work computer to research his opponent and pass the information onto his campaign staff, according to records of his e-mails.
In August, Vasquez sent an attachment containing a Scottsdale speeding ticket for political opponent Paul Babeu to his personal e-mail account and to the account of his campaign treasurer using his county e-mail, records say.
Arizona law prohibits the use of public resources, including computers, for campaign purposes. Read the full article here.
Town officials learn public records law is complicated matter
October 13, 2008: Creating and using documents and records are not difficult. When it comes to saving them in an economical and efficient manner things can get complicated, said Jerry Kirkpatrick, Records Management specialist with the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records.
"A records management person spends a lot of time in the basement, and they are usually rather dusty," Kirkpatrick said.
While all records have value to the organization that creates or receives them, not all have permanent value that warrants preservation in archives. All have specific retention periods before they can be destroyed or disposed.
The whole basis for saving public records is accountability, said Assistant Ombudsman Liz Hill. Read the full article here.
Shortcomings of records law seen in ruling
September 30, 2008: A recent court ruling against Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio underlines the major shortcomings of Arizona's public records law.
This law is intended to ensure that the public will have access to records at public agencies, but the reality is that agencies can still find ways to make it difficult to get the information. Read the full column here.
Court: Arpaio didn't provide records 'promptly'
September 23, 2008: Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio doesn't get to decide how quickly the law requires him to respond to public records requests, the Arizona Supreme Court concluded Tuesday.
The justices, without comment, rejected requests by Arpaio to overturn an appellate court ruling that said he had not complied with the requirements of state law to provide records "promptly." That decision concluded that delays that sometimes extended beyond 100 days cannot be considered reasonable. Read the full article here.
Tucson Mayor sued after failing to produce public records
MCSO stymies requests for information — even from regulators
July 15, 2008: The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office tries to stifle almost anyone checking on its operations.
It keeps secret the most basic data about its police work that other departments publish every year. It refuses to release public records - or tries to remove information from those records - without any legal right to do so.
And even agencies that oversee Sheriff Joe Arpaio's office cannot pry free documents that MCSO wants to keep from the public. Read the full article here.
Bill makes disciplinary records public
June 18, 2008: The state Senate gave preliminary approval Tuesday to a bill that would make public the disciplinary records of state employees.
On a voice vote, the Senate approved House Bill 2159 and amended it to say that employee phone numbers and addresses would remain private.
The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Jonathan Paton, a Tucson Republican, was introduced as part of a series of reforms to Child Protective Services following the deaths of two Tucson children, and the presumed death of a third local child, who were being monitored by the state agency. Read the full story here
City attorney refuses News-Sun request
June 10, 2008: After numerous requests, Benson City Attorney Thomas Benavidez refused to provide complete copies of billing invoices totaling more than $44,000 submitted to the city since being hired in October.
The San Pedro Valley News-Sun has submitted several requests to City Clerk Vicki Vivian regarding the attorney's billing process. Read the full story here.
Bill makes disciplinary records public
June 18, 2008: The state Senate gave preliminary approval Tuesday to a bill that would make public the disciplinary records of state employees.
On a voice vote, the Senate approved House Bill 2159 and amended it to say that employee phone numbers and addresses would remain private.
The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Jonathan Paton, a Tucson Republican, was introduced as part of a series of reforms to Child Protective Services following the deaths of two Tucson children, and the presumed death of a third local child, who were being monitored by the state agency. Read the full story here.
City attorney refuses News-Sun request
June 10, 2008: After numerous requests, Benson City Attorney Thomas Benavidez refused to provide complete copies of billing invoices totaling more than $44,000 submitted to the city since being hired in October.
The San Pedro Valley News-Sun has submitted several requests to City Clerk Vicki Vivian regarding the attorney's billing process. Read the full story here.
