Jacksonville.com

Grand Jury Investigation

A Times-Union report in June documented dozens of meetings about public business held without public notice or written minutes and several meetings in private places, a violation of the city's ethics code. It also uncovered a deeply flawed system of notifying the public of meetings. The grand jury is now investigating the notification and documentation.

Blog by Beth Kormanik

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

What the grand jury is discussing

A Duval County grand jury is investigating the Jacksonville City Council for possible violations of the state's Government-in-the-Sunshine Laws. A Times-Union investigation in June documented dozens of meetings between council members in which public business was discussed, and others in which council members met, but it's unclear what they talked about. The investigation also showed a deeply flawed system of public notification that essentially kept the public in the dark about when their elected officials were meeting and what they were talking about.

If you were sitting on the grand jury, what would you ask witnesses?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I would ask the Council Members what their understanding of both the letter and the intent of the Sunshine Laws are. Then I would ask them to describe their habits, behaviors and situations, and to assess these in relation to their previous understanding of both the letter and intent of the law. This has gone so far overboard. There is not any gross failure to keep the spirit of these ridiculous laws. No one can function, or make good law, or learn from each other, or be an effective legislator if the strict interpretation of these laws is made to be enforced...we MUST create a collaberative government!

Anonymous said...

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