If you represent the city of Bucyrus or Akron, Ohio, you are most likely familiar with lawsuits seeking a civil forfeiture award for improper destruction of public records. If you represent a different city, political subdivision, public institution, or state agency in Ohio, you should be aware that particular individuals are making a cottage industry of filing these types of suits. For example, a plaintiff recently filed suit against the City of Akron seeking records regarding the city’s traffic camera program. Plaintiffs have also filed lawsuits against several cities including Bucyrus for recording over 9-1-1 tapes from the 1990s.  Read more…