"So as far as police transparency in Virginia, this judge isn't the problem. VFOIA is, with an assist from the Supreme Court of Virginia. Saying that the public may access police records unless they relate in any way to criminal investigations is like saying you love all Ben & Jerry's products except the ones containing dairy. It's self-negating.
The judge in my case understood this, I think. "The Court believes that the language at issue here was codified in a pre–Ferguson, Missouri world," he wrote. "Judicial self-restraint, in addition to statutory analysis, counsels that the decision whether to exempt body-worn video from VFOIA should be made by the [state legislature], not the courts." I can respect that.
If you're a Virginian who cares about accountability, though, you should be pissed at your state and local governments for spending your money on body cams and then spending more of it to fight with a reporter to avoid letting you see what they film."
http://reason.com/archives/2018/05/04/reasons-intern-went-to-court-to-get-virg#comment
The judge in my case understood this, I think. "The Court believes that the language at issue here was codified in a pre–Ferguson, Missouri world," he wrote. "Judicial self-restraint, in addition to statutory analysis, counsels that the decision whether to exempt body-worn video from VFOIA should be made by the [state legislature], not the courts." I can respect that.
If you're a Virginian who cares about accountability, though, you should be pissed at your state and local governments for spending your money on body cams and then spending more of it to fight with a reporter to avoid letting you see what they film."
http://reason.com/archives/2018/05/04/reasons-intern-went-to-court-to-get-virg#comment