Just received word that yet another Louisiana municipality has filed suit against a public records requestor solely for making a request. One of these days I hope #lalege outlaws these tactics. #foia #publicrecords
Recently, I was interviewed about this phenomenon, which the rest of the country calls a "reverse public records suit..." There are a lot of reasons why, but these are my top three:
1.) It doesn't cost them. It's not their money, it's ours. While plenty of public servants are worried about taxpayer dollars, there are a few who are not. Unlike when I file a public records suit, there less discussion over the cost because there are no filing fees
2.) They're scared. Possible a Judge bails them out, or, they legitimately don't know what to do. The law in Louisiana doesn't really allow them to ask the requestor for clarity (some do anyway). They also are worried they're going to be sued (by the requestor or the subject)
3.) It's a power move. I would like to believe this isn't the case, but I've seen it too many times. Until we
(and #lalege) get serious about governments suing their citizens for public records, they can keep using it as such. Thanks, @RayGarofalo for speaking up on this in LA.
(and #lalege) get serious about governments suing their citizens for public records, they can keep using it as such. Thanks, @RayGarofalo for speaking up on this in LA.
@RayGarofalo Please excuse my misspellings. I need a good copy editor like @GordonRussell1 @samhannajr or @Jeff_Gauger
