Center to help citizens obtain documents from governmental agencies

December 27, 2009

A new academic institute will help citizens pry information from reticent governments.

The new Center for Open Government at Chicago-Kent College of Law will represent individuals and interest groups that are having trouble getting local governments, or the state government, to hand over documents or records that they are supposed to supply under the Freedom of Information Act.

Director Terry Norton says having the law is important, but compliance is another matter. “Just having the words on paper, in the form of a law, doesn’t mean that that law will be enforced,” he says. “People have to understand what their rights are, and when they seek to enforce those rights, they’ve gotta have a means to enforce them.”

Norton says the center will help applicants properly request the documents they’re seeking, and if necessary, correspond with, threaten or sue any government that fails to comply.

Under Illinois’ recently revised statute, a government that is hauled into court and ultimately forced to supply documents will have to pay the plaintiff’s legal fees.

Copyright 2009 Galesburg Broadcasting Company