Los Angeles County is trying to block a journalist from obtaining the names and photos of about 8,500 deputies and other sworn personnel employed by the Sheriff's Department.
The legal dispute centers on a public records request filed in April 2023 by Cerise Castle, a freelance journalist. Castle asked county officials to release the names and official photographs of all agents not working undercover, and then filed a lawsuit last summer after his request was denied, alleging a violation of California's open records law.
Castle has argued that releasing the images would increase transparency and improve the public's knowledge of police activities.
The department has maintained in court documents that the images are not public records and “do not substantially relate to the conduct of public affairs.”
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge James C. Chalfant rejected the county's position, writing in a July decision that its attorneys are “confusing the public's general lack of access … with whether official photographs are a public record.”
The county has also stated that the officers' personal privacy, “personal safety and effectiveness in their duties” could be harmed by the release of the images.
Castle's battle with the Sheriff's Department echoes a similar case involving photographs of Los Angeles Police Department officers. In 2022, journalist Ben Camacho and the activist group Stop LAPD Spying Coalition published departmental photographs and other information about LAPD officers, which they posted online in a searchable database called Watch the Watchers.
The database sparked a furor within the LAPD, leading the city to sue unsuccessfully in an attempt to recover the photos. Some agents also filed a lawsuit alleging that the release put them in danger because they were working undercover.
In response to questions about Castle's lawsuit, the Sheriff's Department issued a statement to the Times saying it is “deeply concerned” about the prospect of thousands of shots fired into deputies' heads.
“Such a broad request risks compromising the privacy and security of MPs in an era of advanced technology and artificial intelligence,” the statement said. “In addition, such revelations jeopardize covert operations, discourage agent recruitment amid nationwide hiring challenges, and undermine efforts to protect those who selflessly serve our communities.”
In his July decision, Chalfant ordered Los Angeles County to release the headshots with the caveat that any officer who had ever worked undercover could argue for their headshots not to be released.
The judge wrote that the county had not shown that there was a “specific safety concern regarding any particular officer,” adding that “vague concerns do not establish any specific danger” to individual officers.
Castle is best known for her coverage of the Sheriff's Department's so-called deputy gangs. Bold and outspoken at times, she has a large social media following and previously reported for Vice News and NPR before going independent.
Castle said in an interview with The Times that the county's arguments for withholding the photographs do not “meet the standard set by state law.”
“They're not making any real argument,” he said. “All of this is speculation and hypothetical situations that have not happened.”
Castle also worked for the progressive news site Knock LA, as did Camacho when he obtained the photographs of LAPD officers that became the Watch the Watchers database.
The two reporters are currently involved in a lawsuit against Ground Game LA, the nonprofit organization that founded Knock LA. They have sued for nearly $5 million, alleging that the organization improperly benefited from their work.
Ground Game LA has alleged that reporters attempted to take over the site, alleging they took and improperly used its trademark name, mailing list and other materials.
Castle's path to obtaining official photos hit a roadblock this month with California's Second District Court of Appeal. The High Court ruling in Castle's favor was stayed pending a review by the high court's three-judge panel.
Castle has argued in recent court filings that releasing the images would “further his reporting on the officers, focusing on the officers who were involved.” [in] shootings, misconduct and officer gangs.”
Susan Seager, Castle's attorney, said there is no good reason to withhold the photographs.
“We think they just don't want the public to hold them accountable,” Seager said. “They don't want the public to know what they're doing.”
Castle said his case resonates beyond the courtroom, given ongoing raids across Los Angeles County by federal immigration agents wearing face coverings and law enforcement's increasing use of facial recognition and other technologies that pose a threat to citizens' privacy.
“In the moment we're in, where we're seeing masked officers snatching people off the street and away from their families, I think this lawsuit becomes even more relevant,” he said.
