In April, 2001 I used this space to contrast the way the cities of Raleigh and Durham went about choosing their new city managers. I explained then that whereas Raleigh’s city officials cloaked the process in secrecy and played silly…

Many days, when I sit in court waiting for my case to be called, I am glad I am a lawyer and not a judge. Judges are called upon to exercise the patience of Job and the wisdom of Solomon.…

The first substantive change to the public records law is found in the exemption for confidential information. In addition to exempting attorney-client communications and tax information, the statute now has an exemption for billing information of public utilities: (c) Public…

Under current law, there are at least two ways for the governing body of a North Carolina city to choose a new city manager: the Raleigh way, or the Durham way. The Raleigh way, which involves techniques apparently borrowed from…

For the most part, the changes to the open meetings and public records laws are minor and won’t greatly impact how the average reporter does his work day-to-day. In particular, the open meetings law contains only two minor and one…

We take for granted that if you didn’t lie, cheat or steal to get your information, you can publish it. I tell people on the Hotline that all the time. But prior restraints – court orders or laws telling people…

“Uh, oh,” I thought. “He doesn’t get it.” I was standing in the rear of the Callaway Room at the Pinehurst Hotel watching U.S. Senator John Edwards’ facial expression. Senator Edwards had just concluded a set of well-rehearsed remarks about…

1. The requester has the right to specify the format in which he wants a public record produced, provided it exists in that format. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 132-6.2. 2. You may only be charged the actual cost for reproductions…

Governing magazine says state lawmakers are in a “privacy panic.” Professor Fred Cate says the free flow of information is threatened by a “privacy avalanche.” I don’t care what anyone else calls the faddish fetish for privacy now sweeping through…