Odessa American

Judge dismisses Odessa American’s open records lawsuit

FOIFT2022-02-25T17:17:31-06:00

By Hannah Burbank CBS7/KOSA Originally published Feb. 16, 2022 ODESSA, Texas (KOSA) - A judge dismissed the Odessa American’s lawsuit against the City of Odessa. On Tuesday, City Council discussed the court's order. The Odessa American claims the city violated the Texas Public Information Act; however the City said it did nothing wrong. The Odessa American said the city was redacting information but city officials said they were only redacting information like Social Security numbers and license numbers. The newspaper also contended that the city wasn't releasing public records in a timely manner.

Judge dismisses Odessa American’s open records lawsuitFOIFT2022-02-25T17:17:31-06:00

Judge rules in favor of Odessa American, denies city request to dismiss public information lawsuit

FOIFT2020-10-13T19:40:23-05:00

By the Odessa AmericanOriginally published Oct. 12, 2020 A visiting state district judge has denied the City of Odessa’s request to dismiss a lawsuit by the Odessa American to force the city to comply with public information laws. It took only a few days for Judge Rodney Satterwhite to review arguments and rule Monday that the OA’s lawsuit should be allowed to proceed. Attorneys for the city wanted Satterwhite to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing in a hearing Thursday that as a matter of jurisdiction, the judge did not have the power to adjudicate the legal matter. But attorneys representing the newspaper [...]

Judge rules in favor of Odessa American, denies city request to dismiss public information lawsuitFOIFT2020-10-13T19:40:23-05:00

Odessa American files lawsuit against city of Odessa

FOIFT2020-02-19T15:15:30-06:00

By Laura DennisOdessa AmericanOriginally published Jan. 31, 2020 The Odessa American has filed a lawsuit against the City of Odessa to force the city to release public crime records in a timely manner and in accordance with state law. For months, the OA has battled the city to provide public documents to both the OA and the public that includes police reports and probable cause affidavits in a timely manner without redacting information that has always been considered public information under Texas law. “The amount of information the city has been withholding from the public is appalling,” said attorney John Bussian, [...]

Odessa American files lawsuit against city of OdessaFOIFT2020-02-19T15:15:30-06:00

Odessa American says city violating public information laws

FOIFT2020-01-17T16:32:52-06:00

By Royal McGregorOdessa AmericanOriginally published Jan. 16, 2020 Signs point to another legal battle brewing between the Odessa American and the City of Odessa following a crackdown by the city on releasing crime information. The OA for decades has received prompt response for requests for information about crime in Odessa but that grinded to an almost standstill following a mass shooting in Odessa on Aug. 31. Some elected officials were unhappy that names of victims from the mass shooting were released quickly and a shift in how information was released on all crime in Odessa began. Public documents that had taken [...]

Odessa American says city violating public information lawsFOIFT2020-01-17T16:32:52-06:00

City of Odessa commits to closed-door meeting reform after newspaper’s lawsuit

FOIFT2018-03-21T12:50:59-05:00

By Corey Paul Odessa American Originally published March 20, 2018 The Odessa City Council will start keeping audio recordings of all closed-door meetings instead of written summaries, making it easier for the public to hold the officials to account if future violations of the Texas Open Meetings Act seem apparent. The agreement stems from a settlement between the City of Odessa and the Odessa American in a lawsuit filed by the newspaper in June 2017. The suit alleged that the City Council violated the state open meetings law weeks earlier, when a majority voted to oust the head of the board [...]

City of Odessa commits to closed-door meeting reform after newspaper’s lawsuitFOIFT2018-03-21T12:50:59-05:00

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