
NYPD counsel rules freedom of information manual is confidential - danso
https://www.muckrock.com/news/archives/2014/mar/05/nypd-counsel-doubles-down-foil-handbook-rejection/
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meepmorp
Since NYPD counsel isn't a judge, they don't rule on things. They might make
claims or declare things, but they don't make rulings.

It matters because there's a chance that this will go before an actual judge,
who might rule that NYPD's counsel is wrong.

~~~
knowtheory
There are indeed many administrative rulings that are not made by judges, but
instead by executives in government.

That internet service providers are not common carriers is just one example of
an administrative FCC ruling.

Administrative rulings matter a great deal to the daily operation of
government and how citizens interface with their services.

It has been and continues to be a major cost in terms of time, effort and
resources for news organizations to drag every administrative ruling in front
of a judge.

~~~
001sky
"NYPD Counsel" is not an example of an executive branch agency with rulemaking
authority. Counsel is an advocate, and they have merely asserted a position
with reference to the law. Absent some other (unprovided) citation, it doesn't
behoove anyone to use loose language here.

 _" NYPD's lead freedom of information counsel refused to release the
department's freedom of information guides, citing attorney-client
privilege."_

~~~
thirsteh
Translation: NYPD's lawyer said they don't need to release it. There was no
ruling of any kind.

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kordless
If an organization's purpose is to serve the general public, any and all
information they create should have a reasonable timeline applied to it where
it eventually becomes public information. Otherwise, it's simply information
someone is using for their own purposes, and perhaps gain.

~~~
wyager
I think it would be amazing if there was a constitutional amendment forcing
all government information to be disclosed within an extremely short period.
Someone sues the NYPD, the amendment gets incorporated, bada bing, bada boom,
government transparency.

~~~
dripton
A lot of government information is tied up with individual privacy. For
example, Census data isn't released for 70 years, for privacy reasons. I
certainly wouldn't want the IRS to release my tax returns, or Medicare to
release my medical records.

Of course it's easy to abuse the citizen privacy excuse to hide things that
should not be private. But you can't just make everything public without
causing significant problems, either.

~~~
kordless
I'm willing to give up my personal privacy if everyone else is. That's the
catch now, isn't it?

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olalonde
> NYPD counsel rules freedom of information manual is confidential

This sentence seems straight out of 1984.

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a3n
Man, these are great times to be alive if you're a cynic.

~~~
malandrew
All times are great to be alive if you're a cynic living in any society of
appreciable size.

You either need to be a hermit or part of a small tribe to live in "times"
where there is less room for cynicism.

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rafekett
one of many reasons why I will never again live in New York or locate a
business there. I refuse to pay taxes to a state as oppressive as the
government of New York (city).

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jrockway
The best idea is to try to convince someone to leak it. My guess is that if
the NSA can't secure their computer networks, neither can the NYPD.

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caycep
does this break recursion?

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normalocity
FOILed again!

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MrBuddyCasino
Oh the irony.

