Access to Police Personnel Files

Class recorded February 24, 2022.

Effective January 1, 2022, access to police personnel files has been expanded and modified under Senate Bill 16. This bill, among other provisions, added new categories of documents subject to disclosure. Read S.B. 16 here, and read more about the bill here.

The Legislature recently passed Senate Bill 1421, making many types of police personnel files available to anyone through a California Public Records Act request. Learn the current state of the law and how to access police personnel files.

Formerly, such records were only available through specified court procedures like Pitchess motions, which imposed stringent requirements. The new law relaxed those requirements, but implementation has been complex and there have been numerous court challenges to the law’s scope and validity.

Class covers:

  • How to access police personnel files under the new law, Senate Bill 1421
  • How Senate Bill 1421 changed existing law, including the Pitchess motion procedure
  • Why implementation of Senate Bill 1421 has been complex
  • Court challenges to the new law’s scope and validity, and what they might mean for accessing police personnel files in the future

Presented by:
David A. Katz, Managing Attorney, Katz & Associates

Course Materials: If you would like to receive a copy of the course materials for any of the classes, including any PowerPoint used, please register at the Register Now! button for the class, provided below. A staff member will email you the course materials (usually within one business day)."

LA Law Library does not provide legal advice:
LA Law Library does not provide legal advice. LA Law Library provides legal resources and assistance with legal research as an educational service. The information presented in this program is not legal advice and is provided solely as an educational service to our patrons. For legal advice, you should consult an attorney.

IN-PERSON: How to Access Police Personnel Files

Thursday, February 24, 2022: 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

The Legislature passed two laws in recent years which make many types of police personnel files available to anyone through a California Public Records Act (CPRA) request. In this class, learn the current state of the law on how to access police personnel files. 

Formerly, police personnel records were only available through specified court procedures like Pitchess motions, which imposed stringent requirements. However, Senate Bill 1421 set up a new system – which was modified and expanded further by SB 16, effective January 1, 2022 – that makes many such records available to anyone with a simple CPRA request. However, implementation of this new system has been complex and there have been numerous court challenges to its scope and validity.

Class covers:

  • How to access police personnel files through a California Public Records Act request
  • How SB 1421 changed existing law, including the Pitchess motion procedure
  • How SB 16 further honed the requirements of SB 1421
  • Why implementation of the new system for accessing police personnel files has been complex
  • Court challenges to SB 1421’s scope and validity, how SB 16 might affect these court cases, and what these legal challenges might mean for accessing police personnel files in the future

Presented by:

David A. Katz, Managing Attorney, Katz & Associates

Registration fee: FREE

LA Law Library does not provide legal advice:

LA Law Library does not provide legal advice.  LA Law Library provides legal resources and assistance with legal research as an educational service.  The information presented in this program is not legal advice and is provided solely as an educational service to our patrons.  For legal advice, you should consult an attorney.

Accessible Voting: Disabilities and COVID-19

Class recorded Thursday, October 29, 2020.

An attorney from Disability Rights California's Voting Rights Practice Group will discuss the state and federal requirements for accessible voting and why it is important for voters with disabilities to be able to vote privately and independently. The presentation will cover how Covid-19 is impacting the November election and the on-going transition to vote centers in Los Angeles County.

Class covers:

  • Requirements such as accessible voting systems for in-person voting
  • Covid-19’s impact on election administration
  • New technology that will allow for accessible vote by mail
  • Rules for voting rights if under a conservatorship
  • Los Angeles County’s transition to vote centers under the Voter’s Choice Act

Presented by:
Paul Spencer, Attorney, Disability Rights California

Course Materials: If you would like to receive a copy of the course materials for any of the classes, including any PowerPoint used, please register at the Register Now! button for the class, provided below.

LA Law Library does not provide legal advice:
LA Law Library does not provide legal advice. LA Law Library provides legal resources and assistance with legal research as an educational service. The information presented in this program is not legal advice and is provided solely as an educational service to our patrons. For legal advice, you should consult an attorney.

Free Help With Clearing Criminal Records

Tuesday, October 27, 2020: 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

The Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) will provide free legal assistance to eligible low income individuals who are seeking to clean up their criminal records. Clearing a criminal record allows individuals to move on with their lives and seek jobs and other opportunities that would otherwise not be available.

To Register: Interested individuals should call (800) 399-4529 to be pre-screened for the workshop. Eligible candidates will be seen by appointment ONLY.

Candidates must not be on probation or owe fees, fines or restitution. Candidates must also have a copy of his/her criminal transcript from the court or a criminal history report (a ‘RAP’ sheet) from the California Department of Justice. You may request a criminal history report by doing a live scan at locations found at: https://oag.ca.gov/fingerprints/locations

Presented by:
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA)

LA Law Library does not provide legal advice:
LA Law Library does not provide legal advice. LA Law Library provides legal resources and assistance with legal research as an educational service. The Law Library is pleased to offer our patrons the opportunity to obtain assistance from third party legal service providers at this and other events within the Library. However, the Library does not control and is not responsible for the content or scope of any assistance given by those providers.

 

 

 

Understanding Your Student Loan Debt

Class recorded August, 2020.

On August 24, 2022, the Biden administration announced limited forgiveness of federal student loans depending on borrower income and other factors. To learn more, including how to apply, please click here

How do I pay for college? If I take out student loans, when does repayment start? What are the consequences if I can’t pay back my student loans? What happens if I take out student loans and my college closes?

Whether you already have a student loan or are just considering taking out a student loan, it is important to understand how student loans work and how to use them without creating problems in the future. This class will provide information on how student loans work, what happens if you stop paying your student loans and what to do if you can’t pay.

Class covers:

  • Things to consider before taking out student loans
  • Federal vs. private student loans
  • How to get student loans
  • Overview of the repayment process
  • Consequences of not paying back student loans
  • How to identify student loan scams
  • Legal assistance services
  • And much more!

This presentation will be recorded for future broadcast.

Presented by:
Josephine S. Lee, Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA)

Course Materials: If you would like to receive a copy of the course materials for any of the classes, including any PowerPoint used, please register at the Register Now! button for the class, provided below. A staff member will email you the course materials (usually within one business day)."

LA Law Library does not provide legal advice:
LA Law Library does not provide legal advice. LA Law Library provides legal resources and assistance with legal research as an educational service. The information presented in this program is not legal advice and is provided solely as an educational service to our patrons. For legal advice, you should consult an attorney.

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