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Thursday, Nov. 05, 2009

Judge orders StanCERA pension information released to public

Judge sides with Modesto Bee, others

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The Modesto Bee and two other petitioners have prevailed in a lawsuit to force the Stanislaus Employees’ Retirement Association to release information on pensions paid to public service retirees.

In a decision released Thursday, Superior Court Judge Hurl Johnson ruled that the pensions paid to retirees in the StanCERA system are public information.

The Bee sought the names and pension amounts of those getting $100,000 or more per year. Also joining in the suit in Stanislaus County court were the California First Amendment Coalition and the California Newspaper Publishers Association, which asked for the names and pensions of 2,757 retirees and beneficiaries.

The Bee filed suit in late August after the StanCERA board voted to reject its July 8 Public Records Act request. The board oversees the retirement system for employees of the county, Ceres, the courts and five special districts.