When email violates open meeting laws

Here and there around the country, newspapers and citizens are pointing out that elected officials sometimes use email communications in such a way that laws against closed meetings might be violated.

This subject will be worth a review article in a year or two, comparing how different jurisdictions and judges have ruled on the issue.

Please help out by including links to any information on this subject.

Missouri: Governor Says Delete Emails; Attorney General Says 'No' from Death by Email.

Arizona: Surprise City Council thought to violate open meetings laws with email exchanges Arizona Republic, June 29, 2007

Tennessee: School Board E-Mails Might Violate Open Records Law June 2007

New Jersey: We need a ruling from the state Attorney General defining the circumstances when email among elected goverment officials is permissible. My attempts at getting clarification at the local or county level have thus far been unsuccessful. See, for example, my letter to the Mercer Couny Prosecutor regarding the West Windsor Township Council. The prosecutor did verbally admonish the Township attorney, but it doesn't appear to have fixed the problem. --John Paff

The Tacoma school district in Washington is running into this issue, written up in the News Tribune here: Milligan’s records from his review become a bit of a mystery.

California: December 20, 2007: Tracy public records lawsuit could have far-reaching implications

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