Law Questions

Under Oklahoma Open Records Act, if a record contains some exempted information, the entire record may be withheld from public inspection. T/F

Under the Oklahoma Open Records Act, government agencies wait until a request is made to decide how much to charge for copies. T/F

Under the Oklahoma Open Records Act, government agencies should forward all requests to the agency's attorney for review. T/F

Under the tort of public disclosure of private embarrassing facts in Oklahoma, the definition of publicity is met when the information is disseminated to a third party. T/F

The purpose of Oklahoma's Open Records Act is to ensure and facilitate the public's right of review and access to government records so they may ----- and ------ exercise ------- their------- .

•"-----------is to be favored over a finding of ------------."

Once a person's activities become a matter of public interest, that person typically cannot revert to a private status. T/F

Aside from specific content exempted by the Oklahoma Open Records Act, city officials must release their communications with state legislators when requested. T/F

The Oklahoma Supreme Court said openness in government is essential to the functioning of a democracy because public access to government files permits checks against the arbitrary exercise of official power and secrecy in the political process, gives private citizens the ability to monitor the manner in which public officials discharge their public duties, and ensures those officials perform their duties in an honest, efficient, faithful, and competent manner. T/F

The public records policies and procedures of government agencies must be in the letter and _______ of the Open Records Act.

Reporters have a First Amendment right to trespass if the information gathered is sufficiently newsworthy. T/F

One defense against an intrusion lawsuit is that the information gathered was newsworthy. t/f

And act under private signature is regarded prima facie as the true and genuine act of a party, executing it with his signature has been acknowledged, and the act shall be admitted in evidence:

Under the Oklahoma Open Records Act, the judge should seal a divorce case file because both parties asked for it to be closed to the public. T/F

The 10th Circuit said peaceful recording of a traffic stop in a public space that does not interfere with the police officers' performance of their duties is not reasonably subject to limitation T/F

Under Oklahoma law, reporters may secretly record telephone calls to which they are a party or have the consent of one of the parties because Oklahoma is considered a ______________ state.

photographer for The O'Golly takes a picture of a man and woman passionately kissing on the steps of the Edmon Low Library. The photographer snaps their picture without their knowledge or consent. The next day, the photo appears on Page One of The O'Golly, illustrating a story about Valentine's Day. The man, Larry Litigious, is upset about the publication of the picture because that woman was not his wife and his wife saw the photo. He sues the newspaper for intrusion. The newspaper's editor contended that the photographer was entitled to take the photos because the information was newsworthy and true.Will Litigious most likely win? State Yes or No. Then explain WHY. Defend your answer using the information provided in the readings.

For intrusion to occur, the plaintiff must have a --------- ------------ of --------- at the time.

Harold L. Cross' reasons that the public should have access to government records are based the First Amendment theory of ___________________________. [Use the name of the theory, not the name of the theorist.]

•Having obtained information from Public Records is an -------- defense.