Tag: Public Access to Public Records

BREAKING: City of Bay St Louis Cited in Preliminary Opinion for Violating Public Record Law

The long and short of this dust up is David Wells asked for a copy of the City’s open litigation list, a document that previous City Attorney Trent Favre kept as a matter of routine. Not only was he stonewalled by City Attorney Heather Ladner Smith, Mr. Wells was then told by Smith the document he asked for didn’t exist, a “fact” the Ethics Commission adopted in its findings. After being stonewalled by Smith, Mr. Wells was able to obtain the document that he requested from Mayor Ice, who evidently understands the value of treating the Citizenry with some respect. Here is the preliminary opinion:

R 18 036 PubRecords by on Scribd

Here is the litigation list as it existed at that time: Continue reading “BREAKING: City of Bay St Louis Cited in Preliminary Opinion for Violating Public Record Law”

“It’s deja vu all over again”

Photo Courtesy of David Wells
Photo Courtesy of David Wells

A quick PACER sweep indicates there are two active civil suits against the City (Marquar and Issman) with three suits resolved within the past year or so. The docket at the local Circuit Clerk’s office would have the rest of the active cases involving the City.

Just a thought, but it seems like just yesterday the Bay City Council took some very bad legal advice and got in trouble with Ethics. When the opinion came out the lawyer that gave the bad advice got none of the blame as 100% of that went to the elected officials. Deservedly so I might add.

As the coming weeks unfold I’m probably going to be bringing that concept back up.

For those wondering about the Sun Herald-DMR Public Records case…

The Sun Herald found no joy at the Court of Appeals, which reversed Chancellor Schloegel. As of September 2, it was Writ time at the Mississippi Supreme Court, which has not yet ruled whether or not they will be taking the case. Click below to get the 13 page Writ filed earlier this month:

Auditor v Gulf Publishing Writ of Certiorari

Auditor v Gulf Publishing Writ of Certiorari

Lack of transparency at Diamondhead Water and Sewer District and Hancock Board of Sups Disturbing

All I can tell you folks is that my spidey senses tell me something is not right when Citizens can’t gain access to basic financial records.  And when a governmental body conducts their financial affairs without public oversight bad things invariably seem to happen.  Dwayne Bremer has a must read story on Monday’s Hancock County Board of Supervisors meeting.

Calling Car 54……

Is Diamondhead an old school southern plantation? Discuss.

All I know is that the Bat line here at Slabbed New Media is ringing off the hook on the Diamondhead Water and Sewer District, it’s capital project plans and it’s budget. These public records are what I would term basic and yet I am getting reports the Citizenry is being denied access. The Hancock County Board of Supervisors appoints the DWSD Board. Watch out for the Mississippi two step when the Sups and DWSD start pointing fingers at the other. Either way this topic has captured my interest.

The Sun Herald had access to the DMR “Public” records for 7 weeks……

Man o’ man that sure was an epic public records battle for the public to have not seen so much as one of the so called public records that were battled over 7 weeks and a day out. Just sayin’.

There really is a method to the madness….

I hope everyone enjoyed Halloween.  I have less time than yesterday to post but all hell is breaking loose on several fronts. (h/t to several readers and commenters.)

The method to the madness is called building a critter called institutional memory. It comes in handy on days like today.  Here are some salient links:

A dispatch from ghouls of Halloween past ~ Jason Berry

Jason has been covering the Wisner Foundation and the MDL OIl Spill litigation for quite some time now. Seeing the intersections between those topics and a certain class action lawyer whose name has showed up frequently on these pages is most gratifying. Speaking of that clique:

Gusman ends controversial flat-rate contract with firm ~ Claire Galofaro

And from the whistleblower retaliation files Sheriff Gusman remains stuck on stupid…..

Orleans Parish Prison whistleblower who helped expose problems fears for his job ~ Naomi Martin

Meantime the jackassery on the Jefferson Parish Council is hitting full tilt with the gang deciding the voters really do need to have a say so on this hospital deal: Continue reading “There really is a method to the madness….”

Errol and the Noisemakers on YouTube!

I thought how Stephanie Grace framed the view of Judge Engelhardt’s opinion in USA v Kaufman last night was bogus as the local mainstream media continues to blame the Judge instead of the perpetrators of the prosecutorial misconduct from Team Letten and DoJ DC in the Danziger Bridge case.

But that is not why I embed Errol and the gang this morning no siree.  You see folks I have this source from way far back that has connections that run very deeply into the Jefferson Parish business community that I have been looking to feature on Slabbed. I just needed the right spot and that is this morning. First we need to visit with the segment with Stephanie Grace and Common Core and then I’ll post a missive from my source in the business community:

TBL taught them well. An observation:

When our community does not perceive something in the way the political rulers desire, when we don’t behave ‘properly’, or when they seek to have THEIR candidate elected…….

That’s when it’s time for the puppeteer to get to work. The back halls of their organizations (in this case it looks mostly like JBC) get to work, phones start ringing, and a few local leges/politicos/supporters start having ‘town hall’ meetings to get the message out; influence the peeps so they can’t tell they are really being manipulated.

The issue this time: Common Core. Continue reading “Errol and the Noisemakers on YouTube!”

Le diable envoy

Jefferson Parish judge finds JEDCO emails are public documents ~ Paul Purpura

Several of my peeps, very well placed in the JEDCO community, are urging me to send a PRR on the Henry Shane-Lucien Gunter email flap for Slabbed New Media. I also happen to know a public records expert or two….maybe even three. With that in mind I and others are wondering what makes Judge Ansardi’s decision in Shane v Parish of Jefferson a “first of its kind” ruling.  My understanding is there is a ruling out of the LA 1st Circuit directly on point. First of its kind in the 24th JDC/LA 5th Circuit maybe, but the jurisprudence is there. I wish Paul had elaborated more on that as I have a heightened curiosity on this general topic.

With that said and now that certain redactions are in order per Judge Ansardi, I’ll share that the most vexing thing in my expansive PRR on the bad old days during the Goatherderian reign of terror last year was this exact issue.  Ken Krobert at the Parish Attorney’s office and I would politely agree to disagree and move along but I was well aware that certain redactions were going to be applied to the documents.

In fact this is what made this whole Henry Shane – Lucien Gunter email thing smell to me was the fact that Team Foshee has absolutely no problem telling Slabbed no on this issue.  In fact I submit they have every incentive to do just that as being seen cuddled up too closely with Slabbed would be frowned upon by the 5AM Potty Krewe on the Parish Council.  The fact I got my docs, with certain redactions, proves the Parish Attorney is committed to following the law which is why the gang on 7 greenlit those emails between Gunter and Shane to begin with.  I hope the taxpayers can recover the costs of defending these frivolous suits from Team Shane.

So a fair read of the Judge’s decision would mean that if Shane said in emails that certain potential candidates were eliminated from consideration due to race, color and/or creed those names would all be fair game. Or is his ruling confined to declared candidates?  The devil is in those details.  I know this folks, this is how the public ended up with Pat Tovrea on the School Board.