Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Amy Carter has ruled that the city of Inglewood violated California public records laws by failing to release documents related to police misconduct and use of force in a timely manner. The finding comes after extensive legal proceedings involving the American Civil Liberties Union.
The case originated from a 2021 lawsuit brought by the ACLU of Southern California together with Trisha Shanklin. Her sister, Kisha Michael, along with Marquintan Sandlin, died in a 2016 shooting by Inglewood police officers.
Evidence presented showed the city had a pattern of missing response deadlines, delivering partial records, or ignoring requests entirely over recent years. Earlier actions by the city council included votes to destroy internal affairs files before new transparency laws took effect.
An initial court order requiring Inglewood to publish the records online for three years has been withdrawn. Judge Carter explained that judges lack the authority to impose such proactive disclosure obligations, which must instead be established through legislation.
The city remains liable for attorney fees associated with the lawsuit but faces no further penalties for its record of noncompliance. This development effectively concludes five years of court battles between the parties.
Tiffany Bailey, an attorney with the ACLU, stated that the outcome will make obtaining records easier going forward. David Loy of the First Amendment Coalition described the result as beneficial for transparency efforts statewide.
Inglewood city attorneys declined to comment, and Mayor James Butts has not responded to inquiries. Records from the local police department are available through an external database operated by CalMatters.
This report is based on coverage by LAist: https://laist.com/news/inglewood-wont-be-required-to-post-police-records-online-after-all