Tales of Obtaining Public Records

California Should Use Online Printing

2008-12-03T11:44:00.000-08:00

Perhaps some of California's agencies could use online printing for their CPRA Brochures. They could easily create brochures that comply with the requirements issued by Arnie about Open Access. It would cost less to the taxpayers if they'd use a company like PSPrint.com.

The Brochure printing would even ship FREE. How could they not see the benefit? Perhaps they could even integrate an interface on their Public Records page FAQ on how to get copies of the guidelines and they could have the brochures sent out to the requester.

I know I'm getting way ahead of myself, but if the State during this fiscal crisis could find a way to spend less and save more, we'd see more of our potholes fixed. It wouldn't make sense to keep paying overpriced print shops when the cheaper greener alternative is available.

Crazy Public Records

2008-08-13T12:16:00.000-07:00

If you aren't checking out the Professional Public Records Guy blog then you're missing out on my postings. This blog was originally designed for California Public Records Act Requests but I've branched out to include FOIA and politics over at PRG. I hope you're following it. I've kept the style the same and am going to be covering more on Bernie Ward soon.

Who Does Your Background Investigations?

2008-06-24T09:48:00.000-07:00

This day and age, you never know who you're dealing with. It could be a vendor, a companion, a business partner, a venture capitalist, a new associate, etc. FULL DISCLOSURE is rarely a certainty.

So how do you find out if that person is who they say they are? You could hire me, as a Licensed Private Investigator to conduct an exhaustive and extensive background investigation, but what if you have multiple applicants, or need a smaller method to vet potentials? Consider Sentry Link. They offer a Background Check for only $19.95. I know, you're thinking, what can I get for $19.95?

You'll find out if the person is a sex offender and other felonies in their database. Their Criminal Background Check is "FCRA compliant for employment screening and tenant screening, including a consumer dispute mechanism. Many sites have misleading claims regarding FCRA compliance, creating serious legal risks for employers who use them."

The Criminal Check for California only covers 6 counties, so additional investigation will likely be necessary. A sample National Criminal Background Check Report shows that the report has quite a few details that will assist you in your endeavors. It's like having a document fetcher go and manually search the indexes, so that you can actually order the proper files and compare the details.

So WHO is Sentry Link? According to the BBB they have been in business since August 1, 2001, they are trusted by the BBB. Even I don't have that credential. I find the homepage to be lacking additional corporate information, etc. but the information provided by the BBB and searching online filings will show a strong papertrail of the organization. If you use them please let me know what you think of their services in the comment section.

Pazer & Epstein | New York Attorneys

2008-05-20T15:15:00.000-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

PublicRecordsGuy.com is LIVE

2008-03-17T22:15:00.000-07:00

The newest Public Records Blog is here. PublicRecordsGuy.com is a professional blog on obtaining public records under the FOIA and various State Public Access laws. You will also read various stories from one of California's leading Licensed Private Investigators. Subscribe to the FEED.

Our Squirrel

2008-02-26T21:06:00.000-08:00

Sorry this has absolutely nothing to do with PublicRecords but... This is our squirrel.

The Media is CLUELESS about Barry Bonds and the Real Issue

2008-02-14T22:42:00.000-08:00

So the media still has no clue about the legal issues facing Barry Bonds. Let me help EVERYONE OUT. It does not matter one iota whether Barry Bonds did steroids. He's not charged with possession of steroids, use of a performance enhancing agent, sales of a controlled substance. He's charged with perjury folks. Here's the Indictment. That's it. That's all there is to this.

The charges facing Barry Bonds are similar to those Kobe Bryant faced in Colorado. Do we remember? Kobe didn't say he didn't have sex with the accuser. He says it was consensual, so the issue isn't whether he did or didn't have intercourse with her. The issue was whether it was consensual.

Barry Bonds has gone on record saying he never "knowingly" took steroids. Keep in mind the "knowingly" aspect. There are so many angles to this, it absolutely astonishes me that the Media, particularly SFGate.com and KGO who have so called legal analysts make a big whoop-to-do about the fact that the Government in its response to Barry's Motion to Dismiss, state Barry Bonds tested positive for steroids in 2001. SO WHAT!!! Yeah he tested positive, because he was using "The Clear" and "the Cream". He may or may not have been "knowingly" using them. Greg Anderson may have never informed him of it. Who knows, but the issue is DID HE KNOWINGLY USE STEROIDS.

It's about perjury folks, that's all, nothing more, nothing less. On a completely side note, his record should stand because the batters using steroids were hitting a ball that was thrown by a pitcher using human growth hormone and steroids. It was a pretty even playing field.

Indictment

Motion to Dismiss Indictment

US response to Bonds Motion to Dismiss

Hillary Clinton Rented Out Her Donor Mailing List

2008-02-14T09:03:00.000-08:00

It must be hard to run a campaign against Obama with Norman Hsu in custody and unable to bundle donations for her. Oh, what a shame... Well there is a very interesting article I found from Muckraker that cites NPR about Hillary's renting of campaign donor lists to Info U.S.A.'s CEO.

Info U.S.A.'s CEO Vin Gupta, currently under investigation with the S.E.C. has spent $900,000 flying the Clintons on private jets, donated more than $1 million to the Clinton's New Year's party, contributed more than $1 million to Bill Clinton's presidential library, and paid Bill Clinton millions in consulting fees.

The article written by Peter Overby is titled Clintons' InfoUSA Ties Scrutinized Go check it out. If you want to stay up to date with what's going on, please subscribe the RSS feed for my blog. Thanks.

U.S. Defense Analyst leaked secrets to China

2008-02-11T15:31:00.000-08:00

A U.S. Defense Department analyst, Gregg William Bergersen, 51, of Alexandria, Virginia, has been arrested and charged with espionage, accused of passing American military secrets to the Chinese government. Bergersen is WAS a weapons systems policy analyst at the Defense Department's Defense Security Cooperation Agency in Arlington, Virginia. He is charged with conspiracy to disclose national defense information illegally to unauthorized individuals. Also in the Virginia case, two Chinese immigrants -- Tai Shen Kuo, 58, and Yu Xin Kang, 33, both of New Orleans, Louisiana -- were charged with conspiracy to disclose national defense information to a foreign government.

Bergersen and Kuo, a naturalized U.S. citizen, are scheduled to appear later Monday in federal court in Alexandria. Kang, a permanent U.S. resident, will make her initial appearance Monday in a federal court in New Orleans.

Justice Department officials said Kuo cultivated friendships with Bergersen and others at the direction of an unidentified official of the Beijing government. Kuo allegedly "gathered national defense information on behalf of the government" of China from January 2006 to this month.

GREAT TIP for Bloggers, Investigators, Paralegals and Attorneys

2008-02-06T09:48:00.000-08:00

In the Daily Journal’s January 31, 2008 edition an article jumped off the page and spoke volumes to me.

While the Daily Journal is a legal newspaper I find its information to be priceless at times, minus the typographic errors and shoddy proofreading. It’s ironic that the title of the article is, “Proofreading is Crucial to Avoid critical Errors, Tarnished Reputations” by Joe M. Davidson and Nick Unkovic.

To summarize the article I find that the advice would benefit bloggers, investigators, paralegals and attorneys. “An attorney’s reputation can be enhanced or tarnished based on written work product.” Just insert your job where it says ‘attorney’. As the old carpenters saying goes, “Measure twice, cut once.” Bloggers, investigators, paralegals and attorneys should proofread twice, print once.

They cite a recent 9th Circuit case where counsel for a debtor in a bankruptcy case listed the incorrect social security number on the debtor’s petition and notice to the California Franchise Tax Board. The court ruled that the notice was not proper because of the typographical error and thus the taxes owed were not discharged. See Ellett v. Stanislaus, 506 F.3d 774 (9th Cir. 2007). Here is the opinion. Another blog that mentions the case.

Obviously the point I’m trying to make is to take the time to make sure your written work-product accurately represents what your thoughts reflect. (Please don’t count my grammatical errors and so forth...)

Please subscribe to my feed to get notified of my next post. If you found this article to be helpful, please Digg it, Stumble it, or bookmark below. Thanks.

There's a NEW Public Records Blog in the works

2008-02-05T14:09:00.000-08:00

Okay, I can't leak the details yet, but there is a new Blog coming on Public Records and various other Investigator related commentaries. It's in the design phase, so I once it launches, I'll post about it.

Get Out and VOTE.

2008-02-05T09:04:00.000-08:00

Today is Super Tuesday where 24 states will hold primaries or caucuses, with 52 percent of all pledged Democratic Party delegates and 41 percent of the total Republican Party delegates at stake.

I won't ask which candidate you're voting for, but I will ask that you go vote. Take the time to learn the issues, positions, and projected forecast. Go out and VOTE. Please. Subscribe to my feed to get notified of my next post.

DHS Denies Documents, Claiming Public Has No Interest

2008-01-31T10:51:00.000-08:00

Leave it to the Department of Homeland Security to refuse a FOIA request from The Seton Hall School of Law Center for Social Justice and the Brazilian Voice.
If you like a post, please consider Digging it, or book-marking it with one of the nice social bookmarks at the bottom. Thanks. From Courthouse News Service:

NEWARK - The Seton Hall School of Law Center for Social Justice and the Brazilian Voice newspaper demand that the Department of Homeland Security and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement respond to their FOIA request for statistics on warrantless police raids on New Jersey immigrant communities. The DHS refused the request, stating, "a preliminary search of the internet does not indicate that there is substantial current news interest concerning (illegal immigration)," the plaintiffs say in their federal complaint.

I know D.H.S. are experts at Internet Research, after all DHS Agent Michael Burks was caught on NBC's To Catch a Predator. It seems like DHS knows how to use the internet REAL WELL.

This is one suit I don't think we the U.S. Taxpayers should have to end up paying for when DHS loses and is forced to pay attorneys fees. Here is the Complaint.

Anonymous CPRA Requests?

2008-01-30T11:22:00.000-08:00

Do you wish you could submit Records Requests but are afraid that it might jeopardize your position, career, etc.? I think I have a solution, but I want to see if there is a need. I am always trying to find a way to increase the income for my family, and since I currently do not have any beefs with governments (today of course) I thought I might offer the service of CPRA REQUESTS for hire.

What does this entail? You provide me with the information you're seeking and I will draft the request, and I will be the goto person. Your name is protected, in fact it is never mentioned. You pay the costs of the copies and a small fee to cover my time.

In fact for the first few requests I'll let YOU decide how much my time is worth, please don't take advantage of me. I do reserve the right to refuse to work with you, if I think you're doing nothing but trying to get me sued, or involved in lengthly protracted battles. So if you are at all curious about something within the government and/or you know there are documents out there and you want help getting them, lets talk. I can be reached via this blog in the comments section, email me by clicking the image or at the icon in the left column.

Did Former Priest "Bernie Ward" Indicted for Transmitting Child Porn violate Pretrial Release?

2008-01-28T09:16:00.000-08:00

Bernard V. Ward (Bernie Ward) was indicted in December 2007 for receiving and TRANSMITTING child porn. His explanation: Doing research for a book. Every news report I hear talks about his "receiving child porn" nobody addresses the issue of "TRANSMITTING" it. Bernie Ward was a liberal talk show host on KGO-AM/San Francisco. The Indictment was returned September 20, 2007 and remained sealed until December 6, 2007. The United States DOJ issued this PRESS RELEASE regarding the matter.

According to the Indictment Ward is accused of not only receiving pornographic images of children but worse, he allegedly TRANSMITTED them. Why does anybody believe this is acceptable "research"? According to the Court's Docket there was a recent hearing regarding whether Bernie violated the terms of his pretrial release. I emailed the prosecuting US Attorney for comment, we'll see if she responds.

Since Bernie has not disputed he accessed child pornography but offers an excuse as to why he did, where does his "Research Exemption" fall? It doesn't. Let's apply some BERNIE LOGIC. I'm researching a story on how easy it is to access child porn, so I will engage in chats with people in chat rooms and obtain child porn in the interest of journalism. Then I will continue my research and transmit the very images to other people interested in child porn (maybe they're doing research too) and help them become involved in the illegal receipt of child porn. Then I'll research a story on serial killing. Obviously I'll have to kill a few people in the name of "Research" then its off to dealing in drugs, so that I may round out my "Research" project, after all I am going to write a book someday. My guess is that the book would be an autobiography and the title should be, "How I got Caught - Tales from a former Priest convicted of receiving and transmitting child pornography".

Judge Walker issued the Pretrial Scheduling Order for Bernie's case, it looks like he's going to trial on June 10, 2008. Do I smell a Plea?

Here are the documents for yourself:
Indictment
Court Docket
PreTrial Scheduling Order

San Francisco City Attorney's Office and Public Records

2008-01-23T14:21:00.000-08:00

San Francisco Office of the City Attorney's HOME PAGE has a SECTION dedicated to informing the public (you, me, anybody who can access the internet) about San Francisco's Sunshine Ordinance and How to Obtain Public Records. From the face, it appears "transparency" is important to Dennis J. Herrera. ***You will also find a lot of documents pertaining to the Christmas Day Tiger Mauling Incident***San Francisco is a city marred with allegations of Police Corruption, misconduct, cover-up, etc. While I don't know the facts of the present situation being reported by SFGate regarding a rookie officer and domestic violence I do know that the City Attorney's Office has done a relatively good job with their Web 2.0 interface and easily accessible documents. The City Attorney's Good Government Guide for 2007-08 and the accompanying Good Government Guide Supplement are available to download. Officials are required to submit a Sunshine Declaration to the Ethics Commission in order to comply with the Sunshine Ordinance.

The City Attorney's Office even provides a lengthy explanation of how to obtain public records from the City. They also include a sample request here. While I don't know if this is all fluff or serious openness, but at least its public. Has anybody had any experience trying to get records from the City? Please comment and let me know.

Brent Wilkes, Scott Peterson, Susan McDougal, Anthony Mark Bianchi

2008-01-22T14:10:00.000-08:00

What do all these people have in common?

They were/are represented by Mark John Geragos of Geragos and Geragos. Thats right all the forenamed criminal defendants were/are represented by the same attorney the two Dhaliwal brothers immediately retained. When was the last time you could remember someone retaining a high-profile criminal defense attorney for an incident that allegedly didn't involve a crime?

According to the Union Tribune:

Federal probation officials are recommending that Brent Wilkes, the Poway defense contractor who was convicted of bribing former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham, should be sentenced to 60 years in prison, according to court records.

TPMmuckraker says this about it:

Wilkes' lawyer Mark Geragos knows this is bad news, and so has asked for extra time to prepare a counter-argument. Among the things he objects to: the recommendation was based on the assumption that all $90 million of Wilkes' federal contracts were the result of bribing Duke Cunningham. Not so, says he (even though the jury convicted him on all thirteen counts). At least some of that he got fair and square. We look forward to him fighting that out.

Here's some info on Anthony Mark Bianchi certainly someone that I wouldn't let near my kids. Indictment
Superceeding Indictment
Motion to Dismiss
Motion for standby counsel
Motion for Sanctions

Metadata from Digital Photos

2008-01-22T08:33:00.001-08:00

Is there a way to get the juice from photos taken on a camera phone? According to Microsoft there is. I wonder how useful this would be in terms of obtaining the information on government phones? Phones paid for by people, and whether or not images were taken inappropriately. I realize it's a long shot, but I'll have to test the tool and see how reliable it is. This could be a real asset for digital discovery.
Welcome to Microsoft Photo Info 1.0.

From Out-of-the-box lawyering: Metadata in photos: There’s a lot of hidden information in digital photos
Here is a link to the download (must have a valid Window's install).

FUGITIVE AT LARGE

2008-01-17T10:10:00.000-08:00

This is a story about my friend's daughter. Please take the time to read it and help if possible. Julio Guevara-Mejia is a COWARD, and he needs to be caught. Americas Most Wanted has the story. Or contact her dad DAVE at his myspace page.

I am your Brother

2008-01-17T08:53:00.000-08:00

Sorry, but I'm still laughing. I just had too.

For those interested in writing to him...

2008-01-14T09:18:00.000-08:00

MICHAEL DWAYNE VICK 33765-183 27 Black M 07-20-2009 LEAVENWORTH USP
If you wanted to know where he is...

Would you?

2008-01-09T09:24:00.000-08:00

Would you? Bill Clinton let her.

Ron Mexico sentenced to 23 months in the pokey.

2007-12-10T10:37:00.000-08:00

So after firing attorney Daniel R. Meachum, Michael Vick is formally sentenced to 23 months in Federal Custody. He's also been ordered to pay over $900,000.00 for the care and boarding of the dogs. Since he is facing a myriad of federal lawsuits ranging from personal to professional ventures, understandably the U.S. Government wants its restitution and money for the dogs first. See Motion for Restraining Order.

A Whole New Meaning for CRAIGSLIST

2007-12-04T09:27:00.000-08:00

David Phillips. Mike Jones. Greg Ruth. Tom Russell. (Thanks to Chris Drelich for the title of this post) Dan Popkey of the Idaho Statesman reports:

"Four gay men, willing to put their names in print and whose allegations can't be disproved, have come forward since news of U.S. Sen. Larry Craig's guilty plea. They say they had sex with Craig or that he made a sexual advance or that he paid them unusual attention. They are telling their stories now because they are offended by Craig's denials, including his famous statement, "I am not gay, I never have been gay." Those words, spoken on live national TV on Aug. 28, are now memorialized on a just-released-for-Christmas Talking Senator Larry Craig Action Figure."

Click to read the article More gay men describe sexual encounters with U.S. Sen. Craig.
A link to the Larry Craig Investigation.

Clinton Campaign Denies Secret Service Vetting of Fugitive Donor

2007-09-14T12:33:00.000-07:00

Fred Lucas of CNSNews.com writes: After pledging to return $850,000 raised by fugitive fundraiser Norman Hsu, Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign vowed this week to do more rigorous background checks of big donors. But some law enforcement officials contend the former first lady -- or someone close to her -- should have known about Hsu's fugitive status, given the routine background checks conducted by the U.S. Secret Service on protected persons.

"Sorry, you are not correct. The Secret Service did not vet Mr. Hsu," Clinton campaign spokesman Howard Wolfson told Cybercast News Service in a written statement.

Asked why the Secret Service didn't vet Hsu, Wolfson said in a follow-up statement, "I don't mean to state the obvious, but she's not the first lady anymore." Read the article here.