• We are now running on a new, and hopefully much-improved, server. In addition we are also on new forum software. Any move entails a lot of technical details and I suspect we will encounter a few issues as the new server goes live. Please be patient with us. It will be worth it! :) Please help by posting all issues here.
  • The forum will be down for about an hour this weekend for maintenance. I apologize for the inconvenience.
  • If you are having trouble seeing the forum then you may need to clear your browser's DNS cache. Click here for instructions on how to do that
  • Please review the Forum Rules frequently as we are constantly trying to improve the forum for our members and visitors.

SB1264 -- VA FOIA access to criminal and other records

Repeater

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 5, 2007
Messages
2,498
Location
Richmond, Virginia, USA
Senator Stuart wants to re-write the whole thing -- "Reorganizes § 2.2-3706 of the Freedom of Information Act relating to access to criminal records and other records held by law-enforcement agencies."

SB 1264 VA. FOIA; access to criminal and other records.
The only substantive changes in the bill are to (i) expand to the state law-enforcement agencies the ability to withhold portions of noncriminal incident information and (ii) allow law-enforcement agencies to make a verbal response for requests for criminal incident information. The bill also clarifies that personnel records of persons employed by a law-enforcement agency are not noncriminal records, but subject to the personnel records and background investigation records exemptions. The bill contains technical amendments and is a recommendation of the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council.

I wonder if we could get the bill improved to help us? For example, see here:
1. Records required to be released:

a. Criminal incident information [strike]relating to felony offenses[/strike], which shall include:

That is, release of incident information should be mandatory in all cases.

But look at subdivision 2. Discretionary releases. That seems to help LEOs, not the citizenry. No priveleges for law enforcement!
 
Top