Accessing Government Information Fifty Years After the Passage of FOIA

Throughout the month of July, the Harris County Law Library is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Freedom of Information Act or FOIA, the landmark bill that expanded access to public records and paved the way for greater accountability in government affairs. On June 30th, President Obama signed the FOIA Improvement Act, which, among other revisions, stipulates the creation of a single online portal for all FOIA requests. This use of technology to improve government transparency will simplify and expedite the request submission process.

Another way that technology is being used to improve open access to government information is via the e-CFR website. The e-CFR is a daily updated version of the Code of Federal Regulations. It is an unofficial editorial compilation of CFR material and Federal Register amendments. The User Information Page advises those who access the site to verify the accuracy of the content using the CFR, Federal Register, and the List of CFR Sections Affected (LSA).

The e-CFR is just one example of how the government provides information to the public. Another useful resource is the Federal Digital System or FDsys.gov where Congressional Documents, Hearings, Records, and Reports, as well as the United States Code, are available. Federal Court Opinions from select Courts can also be found here, along with a wealth of additional government documents from the Federal Budget to the United States Statutes at Large. The full collection of available records and can be viewed here. 

The Library of Congress is also a rich resource for government documents, including the Federal Register, dating back to 1936. Published every business day, the Federal Register contains executive orders and proclamations, along with public notices and proposed rules issued by federal agencies.

When FOIA was signed in 1966, accessing public information was quite a different process. FOIA has seen many changes in the last 50 years, with substantial revisions due to the advance of technology. Thanks to online publishing and interactivity, as well as the development of authentication technology, the availability of accurate, up-to-date government documents is much greater, allowing the public to be better informed.  

National Ice Cream Month

The Harris County Law Library is celebrating National Ice Cream Month. Visit the library to view our exhibit, currently on display through the end of July, and check our blog throughout the month for more content and resources on ice cream and the law. View our Events page for more details about this exhibit.

Happy National Ice Cream Month!

Independence Day Hours

The Harris County Law Library will be closed on Monday, July 4th, in observance of Independence Day. We will resume normal hours of operation on Tuesday, July 5th, at 8 a.m.

An Important Day in Constitutional History: Escobedo v. Illinois, 378 U.S. 478 (1964)

On this day during Constitutional Law Resource Month at the Harris County Law Library, we remember an important Supreme Court decision, Escobedo v. Illinois, 378 U.S. 478 (1964). Today marks the 52nd anniversary of the decision and its role in reinforcing our Sixth Amendment rights.

Danny Escobedo was arrested without a warrant on January 20, 1960. As the prime suspect in the shooting death of his brother-in-law, he was held for questioning for more than 18 hours. Escobedo asked repeatedly for his attorney to be present, but repeatedly, his request was denied. It was only after being indicted that Escobedo was granted access to a lawyer, violating his Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights to due process and access to counsel. The Miranda v. Arizona, 384 US 436 (1966) decision just two years later implicitly overruled Escobedo, but it was, nonetheless, an important step in the process toward ensuring a constitutional right to counsel for the criminal accused.

In honor of Bloomsday: United States v. One Book Entitled Ulysses by James Joyce

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In recognition of Constitutional Law Resource Month at the Harris County Law Library and our first amendment right to free speech, we are honoring one of modern literature’s finest works, the controversial novel, Ulysses by James Joyce. First published in Paris in 1922 (after being serialized for three years in The Little Review), Ulysses takes place over the course of a single day. This day, June 16th, is recognized annually as Bloomsday, a celebration of Joyce’s life and an homage to his most famous work.

Although it is now universally touted as an innovative and pioneering work of literature, Ulysses was not always looked upon so favorably. The novel we now celebrate was subject to an implicit obscenity ban, which the American publisher, Random House, who had full rights to publish the book in the United States, sought to challenge. In 1933, Random House imported a French edition of the book, expecting it to be seized upon arrival by the U.S. Customs Service, an assumption which proved to be accurate. After seven months of weighing his options, an Assistant U.S. Attorney, who appreciated the work but questioned its decency under the law, decided to take action against it, leading ultimately to a 1934 obscenity trial in the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 72 F.2d 705.  At question in the case was not the artistic merit of the book, but whether such a book should be regarded as "obscene" within section 305 (a) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 USCA § 1305a). This landmark case was extremely influential in paving a path for the import and publication of literature deemed inappropriate, coarse, or risqué, and, in effect, it reaffirmed our Constitutional right to free expression. Happy Bloomsday!