Where plaintiff seeks documents from defendant municipality under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, an employee petition to the personnel committee to discuss complaints and concerns about the town manager is not exempt from disclosure. Background Hawkins sought mandamus relief ...

Tagged with: FOIA Judge James F. Watson Mecklenburg County Circuit Court Virginia Circuit Courts

Where a plaintiff’s initial complaint challenging the government’s response to requests under the Freedom of Information Act was filed more than 20 business days after the request was made, the administrative remedies were exhausted. Background Ayyakkanu Manivannan filed a complaint ...

Tagged with: 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals FOIA

Although the Council on Environmental Quality, or CEQ, claimed the production of dozens of unredacted documents would chill speech, stifle “frank and open discussions” and confuse the public, an in camera review did not support these assertions. Background Southern Environmental ...

Tagged with: FOIA Judge Glen E. Conrad U.S. District Court - Western District

A town council complied with the Freedom of Information Act when it went into closed session to discuss personnel matters. Overview Plaintiff Hart has filed a complaint raising three issues regarding the town council’s compliance with FOIA in relation to ...

Tagged with: FOIA Lynchburg General District Court Virginia District Courts

A county board of supervisors violated the Virginia Freedom of Information Act by improperly going into closed sessions, and by discussing matters than went beyond the scope of the stated reason for going into closed sessions. Background The Smyth-Bland Regional ...

Tagged with: FOIA Justice S. Bernard Goodwyn Supreme Court of Virginia

Where plaintiff reporter sought information concerning a database system from defendant corrections department, the request was “reasonably specific.” Defendant’s late response violated the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. Overview Plaintiff Harki wrote a series of articles for the Virginian-Pilot about ...

Tagged with: FOIA Judge Junius P. Fulton III Norfolk Circuit Court Virginia Circuit Courts

Where a county Board of Supervisors met in closed session and discussed the contents of an ad to replace the county attorney, and also discussed alternatives to the current county attorney set up, the board violated the Virginia Freedom of ...

Tagged with: FOIA Judge Jeffrey W. Parker Rappahannock County Circuit Court Virginia Circuit Courts

Where the Southern Environmental Law Center pleaded that policies and practices of the Department of the Interi­or were being used to violate the Freedom of Information Act, and that it was being injured by those policies, it had standing to ...

Tagged with: FOIA Judge Glen E. Conrad U.S. District Court - Western District

Although the Council on Environmental Quality did not respond to the Southern Environmental Law Center’s FOIA request within the 20 days required by statute, the delay, by itself, does not entitle the center to the documents. Moreover, because the agency argued ...

Tagged with: FOIA Judge Glen E. Conrad U.S. District Court - Western District

While a doctor involved in litigation with the City of Virginia Beach was not entitled to entries in the city’s legal invoices that would reveal confidential information, litigation strategy, work product or legal advice, the court found the city withheld ...

Tagged with: FOIA Justice Stephen R. McCullough Supreme Court of Virginia