Court Decisions Judge Fines City for Withholding Red-Light Camera Documents
Judge Fines City for Withholding Red-Light Camera Documents
Updated: Tuesday, 18 Oct 2011, 7:48 PM CDT
Published : Tuesday, 18 Oct 2011, 7:48 PM CDT
JOHN PERERA
Web Producer
HOUSTON - A judge has ordered the city of Houston to pay up for illegally withholding documents regarding red-light cameras.
The city must pay nearly $95,000 in legal fees to attorneys Paul Kubosh and Randall Kallinen.
Both men have been at the forefront of Houston’s red-light camera debate, arguing the cameras should be taken down.
In a written statement, Kallinen chastised the city for its lack of openness to the public.
Both he and Kubosh will be at city hall to reveal the documents in question. The event is scheduled for Wednesday around 10:30 a.m.
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READ THE FULL STATEMENT BELOW:
In a scathing court ruling two years ago State District Court Judge Tracy Christopher ruled that the City cannot keep secret from the public documents regarding Houston’s dangerous Red Light Camera system.
Now another State District Court Judge has ruled that the City must pay plaintiffs Paul Kubosh and Randall Kallinen over $95,000 in legal fees for illegally withholding the Red Light Camera documents. See attached Court Order.
“When it comes to openness in government and the People’s Right To Know Houston gets an F-,” said civil rights attorney Randall Kallinen, “From the Chad Holley video to keeping secret autopsy reports of police shootings and jailhouse beatings to these red light camera documents we see a clear pattern of hiding important policy information from the Public.”
“In the City Council Chambers is emblazoned ‘The People are The City’ and I hope that this case will make the City think twice before keeping secret The People’s business from the People,” stated Paul Kubosh, “The City uses the court system to make it too expensive for the average Joe and Jane to fight to see what their government is up to.”
Both Kallinen and Kubosh have fought against Houston’s dangerous red light camera system from when former Mayor Bill White first suggested them through their final demise in August, 2011.
Both of the public safety activists agreed that the Texas open records law needs to change in that attorney’s fees need to be granted to a winning litigant even when the Attorney General initially gives an opinion in favor of the government. Both lawyers are still working on federal cases involving Houston’s red light camera system.
Paul Kubosh and Randall Kallinen, with their open records law lawyer Joe Larsen, will be in front of City Hall by the reflecting pool to show the public the documents withheld and talk about the importance of openness in government.
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