Lawsuit filed against Fresno Co. Sheriff's Office claiming violation of public records act
The ACLU has filed a lawsuit against the Fresno County Sheriff's Office, claiming the agency has not complied with public records requests.
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The ACLU has filed a lawsuit against the Fresno County Sheriff's Office, claiming the agency has not complied with public records requests.
The nonprofit organization claims the sheriff's office did not provide access to public records requests "seeking information regarding use-of-force, discharge of firearms, sexual assault, and dishonesty by its officers" despite California law, SB 1421.
The law, the ACLU said, allows disclosure of records regarding officer use-of-force incidents or serious misconduct committed by law enforcement members.
ACLU officials say they requested information from the Fresno County Sheriff's Office in 2019 when the law passed, but they've only received some of the documents.
The lawsuit also claims that the sheriff's office "improperly charged" the organization thousands of dollars in processing fees.
The ACLU said it wants the sheriff's office to disclose all the requested public records immediately.
Action News reached out to the Fresno County Sheriff's Office for comment and received the following statement:
"We are aware of the following lawsuit and will be reviewing pleadings, etc. Due this being brand new litigation, we will refer you to our County Counsel for any potential comment on the matter."
