Quote:
Originally Posted by icenine
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GC 6254 specifies exemptions in order to balance the individual's right to privacy with the public's need for information. Items that will most likely be redacted from Los Angeles Police Department public records are:
Identifying juvenile information
Identifying victim information associated with crimes to Penal Code Sections 261,264,264.1,273a,273d,286,288 or 289
Identifying confidential informant information
Criminal offender record information
Information that may endanger the safety of a witness or the other person
Information that may jeopardize an investigation, related investigation or law enforcement proceeding
Any portion of the report that reflects analysis, recommendation or conclusion of the investigating officer
Information that may disclose investigative techniques
Information that may deprive a person of a fair trial
Preliminary drafts, notes, or memorandums which are not retained in the ordinary course of business
Records pertaining to pending litigation to which the city is a party until the litigation is adjudicated or settled
Personnel, medical or similar files
It seems most of these exceptions apply in the Ferguson case. Above all, California law doesn't apply in Missouri.
Now that this case has taken on a life of its own, it's all the more important for authorities to get this right. If the cop is indeed guilty of something, releasing all sorts of preliminary info now will only jeopardize those trying to get an indictment or conviction. Relax and be patient. The truth will come out in due time and the facts will matter little to those who have already made up their minds in an effort to confirm their own biases.