The American Civil Liberties Union has joined with a journalist, a college professor and an activist to sue the Los Angeles Police Department over what they describe as a “systemic violation” of California’s public records law. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, accused the LAPD of failing to comply with the California Public Records Act by not responding to requests within the time frame mandated by the law or by ignoring inquiries altogether. Though commonly used by journalists or advocacy groups like the ACLU, anyone can request access to public information under the California Public Records Act. Once an agency receives a request filed under the public records act, it must respond within 10 days, saying whether it will provide that information. Times reporters have also experienced lengthy delays after requesting records from the LAPD under the California Public Records Act, including cases where the department has not responded to the inquiry within the 10-day window mandated by state law.

Source: Los Angeles Times April 25, 2017 18:10 UTC