Chula Vista, California, police officer operating drone.Chula Vista PD
The city of Chula Vista is asking the California Supreme Court Thursday to review a lower court's ruling that found not all drone footage captured by its police department is exempt from public disclosure.
The legal dispute over police drone footage stems from a lawsuit filed by Arturo Castanares, publisher of La Prensa San Diego, who sought copies of one month's worth of CVPD drone recordings under the California Public Records Act, but was rebuffed by the city, NBC San Diego reports.
A San Diego Superior Court judge agreed with the city's position that the footage cannot be released because it falls under an exemption that allows the footage to remain withheld because it is investigatory material.
However, the 4th District Court of Appeal ruled otherwise last month, finding that while much of the drone footage could be exempt, it was incorrect to rule that all the video footage could be considered tied to investigations.
In a statement released Wednesday announcing its request for state Supreme Court review, the city said it originally declined Castanares' request because releasing all drone footage "might have violated individual privacy rights."