House Passes Bill To Make Federal Court Records Free to the Public
The PACER database is antiquated and expensive to access, and that's just the way the federal judiciary likes it.
Transparency
Justice Department Will Let Local Cops Wear Body Cameras in Task Force Raids
It's an improvement over the status quo. But time will tell how frequently the feds try to suppress important footage.
Why Are Political Journalists More Scared of Revealing Their Votes Than Baseball Writers?
Transparency is only for the little people, it would seem.
Who Watches the Government's Watchdogs?
Expansive and expensive government programs represent irresistible temptations for sticky-fingered crooks.
Release Body Cam Footage
With the right freedom of information and use policies, wearable cameras could still be a powerful weapon to increase transparency.
Los Angeles Sheriff's Department
L.A. Sheriff's Deputies Assault Reporter, Then Attempt To Mislead Public About It
Tensions are high over the weekend shooting of two deputies.
Police Unions Lose Bid To Block Release of Huge Trove of NYPD Misconduct Records
The unions argued that releasing unsubstantiated complaints would harm officers' reputations and threaten their safety.
The Supreme Court, Livestreamed and Uncut
Just like millions of their fellow Americans, the justices would have to adjust to the strange new realities of social distancing and working from home.
New York Police Unions Partly Succeed in Stopping Release of Misconduct Records
A federal judge gags the New York Civil Liberties Union, but a media outlet manages to collect and publish a database of misbehaving cops.
This Week in Policing Reform: Hawaii Lifts Police Secrecy, Civilian Oversight Boards Make Ballots in Miami and Philadelphia
And Sen. Tim Scott (R–S.C.) says policing reform in Congress might not be dead after all.
Police Agencies in New York and Los Angeles Drag Their Feet over Body Camera Footage and Misconduct Records
Efforts to force sunlight into police conduct have been thwarted by noncompliance.
Why Haven't We Seen the Body Cam Footage of Duncan Lemp's Killing?
It's been nearly four months since a Maryland SWAT team killed Duncan Lemp, and there's been no transparency.
The Federal Government Spent Nearly $3 Trillion on Coronavirus Relief. Oversight Has Been a Mess.
Members of Congress may have benefited from small business funds, and government watchdogs are warning that the program appears susceptible to fraud.
Trump Administration Says Identities of Coronavirus Stimulus Loan Recipients Are 'Confidential'
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin says that information is confidential. Government watchdogs say that excuse is bogus.
New York Legislature Repeals Notorious Police Secrecy Law
New York was a national outlier in hiding police misconduct records. The state legislature finally repealed the law responsible for it.
Houston Police Chief's Record Belies His Reformist Rhetoric After George Floyd's Death
If Art Acevedo had any shame, he would be engaging in less grandstanding and more introspection.
5 Ways to Curtail Police Violence and Prevent More Deaths Like George Floyd's
From tighter use-of-force rules to eliminating qualified immunity, here are some reforms that could make a real difference.
Lancaster County Drug Task Force 'Missing' $150K From Asset Forfeiture Fund
Would you be surprised if you learned the former district attorney was caught leasing an SUV with asset forfeiture funds?
Here Are 4 Policing Reforms Cities and States Are Considering Right Now
There’s a lot of work to be done to prevent future George Floyds. Here are some baby steps.
George Floyd Killing Reignites Calls To Repeal New York's Police Secrecy Laws
For decades, New York's secrecy regime has hidden police misconduct records from families and reporters.
The Michael Flynn Unmasking Fight Is Another Chance for More Transparency About Secret Government Surveillance
People insisted the wiretapping of Carter Page was perfectly normal. That turned out to be wrong.
How Fashion Designers Are Thwarting Facial Recognition Surveillance
Privacy activists say we should be alarmed by the rise of automated facial recognition surveillance. Transhumanist Zoltan Istvan says it's time to embrace the end of privacy as we know it.
A Virus Makes the Supreme Court More Transparent
Unprecedented live audio streaming of oral arguments could signal more openness.
Supreme Court Rules That Georgia Can't Copyright Its Annotated Code
A long-running legal battle ends with a victory for open government.
The Coronavirus Is Scary Enough. Governments Shouldn't Make It Scarier by Withholding Information.
The point isn't only to provide reassurance to the public, but also to guide policymakers who have to make decisions on things such as opening or closing public schools, libraries, or playgrounds.
New York's New Budget: No Legal Weed, No Fracking, No Flavored Vapes, No Police Transparency. But You Get E-scooters!
If only everybody weren’t stuck in their homes.
The White House Made Coronavirus Meetings Classified. That's Idiotic.
It hampers transparency and means that relevant health officials who lack clearance can't participate.
A Tennessee County Destroyed Hundreds of Records Requested by a Local Newspaper
The Hamilton County Attorney's Office later admitted that its policies conflict with the state's public records law.
Is the FBI Snooping on Political Groups and Ideological Publications?
The Cato Institute wants Congress to investigate the FBI after it refused to confirm or deny the existence of files on dozens of political advocacy groups.
One Year After It Passed, California's Police Accountability Law Is Working
In requiring greater transparency in police record-keeping, California proves it can do at least one thing right.
Massachusetts Police Test Out Robot Dogs. Is Dystopia on Its Way?
Don’t be afraid of the robopups, but make sure we leash law enforcement to keep officers from misusing them.
Environmental Protection Agency
Is Trump's EPA Seeking To Gut Good Science?
Congress wants to know if the agency is strengthening transparency or silencing science.
New Yorkers Overwhelmingly Voted To Give a Civilian Oversight Board More Power To Investigate Lying Cops
Police unions are unhappy.
California's Top Court Finally Allows Law Enforcement Agencies to Share List of Problem Cops With Prosecutors
Powerful unions and state-mandated secrecy made it a fight to know about misconduct.
California Police Agencies Were Supposed To Make Misconduct Records Public. Why Isn't It Happening?
Media outlets are seeing foot-dragging, destroyed records, and demands for big money for compliance.
Expect More Government Secrecy in Business Relationships, Thanks to Supreme Court
Yesterday's Supreme Court ruling expanded when the government can keep business records secret. That's bad news for transparency
The City of Vallejo, California, Has a Police Problem—and It's All Being Caught on Camera
A small city in California has been plagued by police shootings, costly civil rights lawsuits, and incidents of excessive force.
Australian Police Raided a Newsroom and a Journalist's Home for Reporting on Government Secrets
The police conducted two searches in two days to track down who is leaking things leaders don’t want the public to know.
Alabama Passes New Transparency Requirements for Civil Asset Forfeiture
Alabama is one of the least transparent states in the U.S. when it comes to civil asset forfeiture. That could be changing.
Texas Police Union Kills Effort To Close State's 'Dead Suspect Loophole'
Texas law lets police hide records of suspects who die in custody from grieving families. It could have been fixed, but a police union torpedoed the reform bill.
Reminder To All the News Outlets Hiring Rahm Emanuel: He's Awful
Emanuel was a habitual violator of Illinois' public records laws and shielded the police from public scrutiny whenever he could.
Trial (Sort of) Begins Over Police Officer's Conduct in Eric Garner's Death
Five years later, Daniel Pantaleo faces administrative justice.
Julian Assange Sentenced to 50 Weeks in U.K. Prison for Skipping Bail
And the WikiLeaks founder will be in court again tomorrow.
