Action Alerts — Designing and Implementing
Child Support and Alimony
Some [hair-raising] Case
Law Examples
By Eeva Sodhi
Media Directories
http://www.mediainfo.com/emedia perhaps
the best online directory of media Websites around the world, including newspapers,
magazines, TV and radio stations, and media associations.
Request for Access to Information -- For use in the US
You should use this letter generator to request access to records held by a state or
local government agency or body (e.g., public school district, public university campus
police, state board of health, etc.).
Re: Child support payment record
There is also a letter generator which will produce a letter intended to gain you
access to records held by the federal
government.
Jay Todd, a father wrongly persecuted for being in
arrears by $10,000 with his child support payments, found a letter generator that can
serve to make a request for access by a father to his
child support file and payment
record.
Beaver County Domestic Relations refuse to release his file to Jay, claiming that they
can only release the file to his lawyer, even though Jay informed them that he has been
representing himself pro se throughout his whole case.
Jay says:
I found a Web Site which created the form letter below. You can generate requests for
the 50 states.
Fully Automated, Fill-in-the-Blanks
State Open Records Law
Request Letter Generator
http://www.splc.org/ltr_sample.html
| April 7, 2000 Dawn Johnson
Beaver County Domestic Relations
PO Box
Beaver, PA 15009
Dear Ms. Johnson:
Pursuant to the state open records law, Pa. Stat. Ann. tit. 65, sec. 66.1 to 66.4,
I write to request access to and a copy of a copy of my Domestic Relation file. If your
agency does not maintain these public records, please let me know who does and
include the proper custodian’s name and address.
I agree to pay any reasonable copying and postage fees of not more than $20.
If the cost would be greater than this amount, please notify me. Please provide a
receipt indicating the charges for each document.
I would request your response within ten (10) working days.
If you choose to deny this request, please provide a written explanation for the
denial including a reference to the specific statutory exemption(s) upon which you
rely. Also, please provide all segregable portions of otherwise exempt material.
Please be advised that I am prepared to pursue whatever legal remedy necessary to
obtain access to the requested records.
Thank you for your assistance.
Sincerely,
Jay H. Todd, Jr.
PO Box 166
Midland, PA 15059-0166 |
A tip:
It will add quite a bit to the impact of the letter if copies of the letter will be
sent out as per the following addition to the bottom of the letter:
Cc: [Elected Councilman's Name]
[Assemblyman's Name]
[State Representative's Name]
[Name of the local newspaper]
[Name of the most prominent
daily newspaper of the state]
You'll have to adjust the titles to your local requirements. I'm not familiar
with them.
In forwarding copies of your letter, send a two or three-paragraph covering letter
describing the reason why you sent the letter. Use the tactic with discretion and
only if required, such as when you experience difficulties in getting access to
information that should be easily obtained but is refused.
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