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California public records

PAYWALL OF JUSTICE: ORANGE COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT

    After stonewalling for nearly a year, the Orange County Superior Court (OCSC) has hit investigative journalist Julie M. Anderson Holburn with a stunning $4,240 fee for a single public records report. The court’s months-long delays, bogus legal excuses, false retention claims, and personal attacks reveal a disturbing pattern: deny, deflect, retaliate. Holburn’s requests—clearly protected under California Rule of Court 10.500—seek basic family court administrative data already available on courthouse terminals. But instead of compliance, OCSC has chosen obfuscation. At stake is not just transparency, but the constitutional right of every Californian to know what their courts are doing.

    CENSORED FOR SPEAKING OUT: OCDA Deleted Public Comments During Its Own Crime Victims Rights Ceremony

      Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer hosted a livestreamed Crime Victims Rights Week ceremony on April 29, 2025, promising a platform for survivors. But when a journalist submitted peaceful, on-topic comments demanding accountability for CPS, family court, and law enforcement failures, moderators deleted the posts mid-broadcast. The event—billed as a public forum for victim voices—became a textbook case of viewpoint discrimination. The censorship violated First Amendment protections affirmed in Lindke v. Freed and sparked public outcry. A CPRA request and formal media inquiry are now pending. Over 13,000 have signed a petition demanding full investigation of Orange County family courts.