During an in-person meeting of a public body, it is not uncommon for individuals to have sidebar discussions. Such discussions do not necessarily violate any rules or laws, including the Illinois Open Meetings Act. But what...more
In a rare binding opinion, the Illinois Attorney General’s Public Access Counselor (PAC) opined that certain information in the sole possession of a vendor that had contracted with the Illinois Department of Corrections...more
8/18/2020
/ Department of Corrections ,
Exemptions ,
FOIA ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
PACs ,
Proprietary Information ,
Public Access Laws ,
Public Records ,
Request For Information ,
Third-Party ,
Trade Secrets
Last week, the Illinois Appellate Court issued three separate opinions addressing the scope of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The opinions provide additional guidance related to what constitutes a reasonable...more
8/12/2020
/ Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Criminal Investigations ,
Email ,
Failure to Comply ,
FOIA ,
Mobile Devices ,
Murder ,
Public Access Laws ,
Public Records ,
Request for Production ,
School Districts ,
Search & Seizure ,
Text Messages
In its fourth binding opinion of 2020, the Illinois Public Access Counselor found that a Chicago Public School’s Local School Council violated Section 2(a) of the Open Meetings Act by improperly discussing the timing and...more