The Commonwealth Court has been asked to consider a case of first impression in which The Philadelphia Inquirer was denied access to the calendars of Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter and the 17 members of the Philadelphia City Council.
Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Idee C. Fox ruled earlier this year that the request of the newspaper’s City Hall reporter, Jeff Shields, to secure the daily schedules of Nutter and Council members from June 1 to July 14, 2009, should be denied. The judge determined the calendars are subject to a statutory exemption for notes and working papers prepared by or for governmental officials solely for the officials’ personal use.
