The OOR recently ordered the County of Delaware to produce data requested regarding a new county-wide property assessment, even though the preliminary valuations for purposes of determining the new property taxes were only a preliminary step in the process. In Marcavage v. County of Delaware, OOR Docket No.: AP 2020-0457 (March 30, 2020), the
Commentary
Access to Public Records and Constitutional Rights
By Francis Pileggi on
Posted in Commentary
The United States Supreme Court, in McBurney v. Young, ruled that there is no federal constitutional right to public records, and the states have the discretion to limit access to public records to their own citizens. This decision and its impact on the right to obtain public records was explored in a recent article: Chad…
A How-To-Guide for PA RTK Law Requests
By Francis Pileggi on
Posted in Commentary
A recent article provides a how-to-guide for those who seek to obtain records pursuant to the PA Right to Know Law, with links to the OOR website. The topics include:
- The agency to whom the request should be submitted;
- The form of the written request;
- How to send it;
- Timetables involved;
- Appeal procedures.
UPDATE: District Attorney’s asset forfeiture and other financial records subject of court rulings in RTKL Appeals
By Francis Catania on
Posted in Commentary, Court Decisions
The Pennsylvania Office of Open Records has posted Cambria County Judge Krumenacker’s Opinions and Orders in the matters listed below. Click here for access:
| 2017-0050 | 06/29/2017 | DeBartola v. Cambria County District Attorney’s Office | Request sought various records relating to drug expenditures and employee information. |
| 2017-0534 | 06/22/2017 | DeBartola v. Cambria County | Request |
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Welcome to the PA Right to Know Law Blog
By Francis Pileggi on
Posted in Commentary
The purpose of this new blog is to inform lawyers, business managers, educators, concerned citizens, journalists, and government officials about the legislation passed in 2008 by the Pennsylvania Legislature known as the Pennsylvania Right to Know Law, a/k/a PA Open Records Law. We will provide interpretations and applications of that law in court opinions and…
PA Office of Open Records (OOR)
By Francis Pileggi on
Posted in Commentary
For anyone interested in knowing more about the PA Right to Know Law (RTK Law), the first step should be the website of the PA Office of Open Records (OOR). The website of the OOR has a wealth of information, such as links to:
(i) the text and legislative history of the PA RTK…
Flowchart for Initial Request and Appeals Per RTK Law
By Francis Pileggi on
Posted in Commentary
The Office of Open Records has prepared a flowchart that illustrates the procedure starting from an initial request under the RTK Law, through appeals to the PA Supreme Court.
Comparison of Delaware and Federal FOIA Provisions
By Francis Pileggi on
Posted in Commentary
It remains useful to compare how the PA RTK Law compares to similar laws in other jurisdictions. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) statutes in the State of Delaware, and also the federal counterpart statute do not generally allow access to criminal investigations. FOIA is the name given to many RTK laws in other states.
Brief …