CNPA, CFAC join Tracy Press in challenge

This is the first year I've broken away from the newsroom to attend the annual meeting of the California Press Association, a 130-year-old newspaper association. I was determined to go to San Francisco today, to thank those in attendance who have supported us in our lawsuit against the city of Tracy.

If you've followed our stories, you know that the city recently hired a Sacramento attorney to fight the Tracy Press’ lawsuit that seeks e-mails sent in 2006 by Tracy City Councilwoman Suzanne Tucker to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

The California Newspaper Publishers Association, California First Amendment Coalition and Associated Press have filed briefs in support of the Tracy Press, as have a dozen newspapers and newspaper companies: San Francisco Bay Guardian, Los Angeles Times, Copley Press, McClatchy Company, Bakersfield Californian, Herburger Publications, Bay Area News Group-East Bay, Sierra Nevada Media Group, The Record, Metro Publishing Inc. and the Riverside Pres-Enterprise.

In their amicus briefs, they state that the lower court’s ruling creates a loophole through which government and elected officials can exchange information outside of the public view.

Last August, the Tracy Press challenged a San Joaquin Superior Court ruling, when the court backed the city’s contention that Tucker could withhold from the public her e-mail exchanges with the lab. On Oct. 18, the Sacramento appeals court ordered the city to explain why the Tracy Press has no right to the e-mails.

Last week, the attorneys for the Tracy Press filed their response with the appeals court. If you'd like a copy of the opening briefs, e-mail me at cherim@tracypress.com. For my blogs on this case, see those labeled Public Access.