By C.D. Michel
Michel & Associates filed an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief today in the California Court of Appeal, in support of the Sierra Club’s lawsuit against Orange County to obtain GIS parcel data under the California Public Records Act (PRA). The PRA is an invaluable tool that MAPC uses regularly on behalf of its clients to obtain information necessary for litigation and legislative advocacy. The trial court’s decision in this case, if affirmed on appeal, could dramatically restrict the public’s right to obtain electronically stored information under the PRA. Since more and more public records are being maintained in digital form, the decision could seriously undermine the public’s right to government transparency guaranteed by the California Constitution. MAPC drafted and filed this brief pro bono. Click here to view the brief.