A reporter’s work on unsafe jails shows why California shouldn’t weaken its public records law

CalMatters has published a guest commentary arguing that California should not weaken its Public Records Act. Written by David Myers, a retired commander in the San Diego Sheriff's Office, the piece invokes the late investigative journalist Kelly Davis, who spent years forcing the crisis of preventable deaths in San Diego County jails onto the public agenda before dying of cancer two weeks ago at fifty-three. Myers points to Assembly Bill 1821, introduced by Downey Democrat Blanca Pacheco to curb what she called burdensome records requests; though heavily amended under public opposition, it would still let agencies take ten calendar days rather than ten business days to respond, with extensions of up to fourteen business days. For families seeking answers about a loved one who died in custody, Myers writes, such delay is not a minor inconvenience but a denial.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton