Connecticut Court urged to order release of Newtown shooter’s belongings

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A newspaper lawyer urged the Connecticut Supreme Court on Thursday to allow reporters to examine some of the Newtown school killer’s belongings, saying information on a possible motive for the 2012 massacre of 20 children and six adults is of high public interest and concern. The requested materials include a spreadsheet…

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CT: Bridgeport Police launch body camera program

Mayor Joe Ganim called a “step of additional accountability and transparency.” “I’m happy and — actually in so many ways thankful — to people who, even before we were here, before this administration … have been pushing for this advancement in policing and community policing,” Ganim said. Since the beginning of February, the city has…

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Proposed FOI ruling would force Stonington to release original operations report

Stonington — Ten months after The Day filed an appeal, a state Freedom of Information officer has found that the town violated state law by refusing to release a consultant’s report on town operations to the newspaper. Hearing Officer Valicia Dee Harmon found that the town’s reasons for refusing to release the report, which it…

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Connecticut task force to hold last public hearing on FOI vs. victim privacy on Oct. 16

From CT News Junkie: A task force weighing the privacy rights of crime victims against open access to public records under the Freedom of Information Act will have its third and final public hearing Wednesday morning in the Legislative Office Building.

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Ethics agency destroys public records Of Connecticut state officials’ financial interests

From Hartford Courant:

The Office of State Ethics has quietly destroyed a quarter-century’s worth of public records concerning the finances of present and former public officials, drawing a protest from the head of an open-government group who says the thousands of shredded files were an irreplaceable resource.

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FOIA complaint filed after City of Waterbury refuses to release John Rowland records

From Connecticut 5th District:

The New Haven Register and Register Citizen filed a complaint with the State Freedom of Information Commission Friday afternoon over the city of Waterbury’s refusal to release documents related to former Gov. John Rowland‘s work as a taxpayer-funded economic development coordinator.

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Connecticut newspaper files FOI complaints against Board of Education

From The Westerly Sun

N. STONINGTON — The Westerly Sun has filed a Freedom of Information Act complaint against the Board of Education, alleging two violations. The complaint alleges that the board failed to give the public the required 24-hour notice of a meeting, and that its members cast anonymous votes on paper ballots.

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