For the second time this month, the city of Tacoma, Wash. was fined for withholding information concerning its use of Stingray devices.
Last week a count judge ordered the city to pay public records activist Arthur West $44,000 for violating the Public Records Act, according to The News Tribune.
A daily fee of $100 will also be charged as the judge ruled the withholding was done in bad faith and should additional records be found to have been withheld the fees may be adjusted, according to court documents. The plaintiff's request was filed in August of 2014.
On March 3, 2017, the city was also ordered to pay the Seattle-based Center for Open Policing $50,000 plus undetermined attorney fees for withholding similar information and the municipality faces a third case related to Stingray documents concerning the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington.
