Meri-Weather, Inc. v. Freedom of Information Commission
Meri-Weather, Inc. v. Freedom of Information Commission
Opinion of the Court
Opinion
The plaintiff Meri-Weather, Inc. (Meri-Weather),
On appeal, the plaintiff claims that the court improperly (1) determined that the “extent of government involvement” factor of the functional equivalent test of a public agency was met even though the core activities of the plaintiff were not subject to government involvement or regulation, (2) relied on the alter ego doctrine in determining that the plaintiff was the functional equivalent of a public agency, (3) determined that the plaintiff was created by the government and (4) determined that the plaintiff was the functional equivalent of a public agency subject to the act.
The defendants respond that the court correctly concluded that (1) the plaintiff is the functional equivalent
Our examination of the record and briefs persuades us that the judgments should be affirmed. The court’s memorandum of decision in the first case, which the court adopted as its decision in the second case, is detailed, thoughtful and comprehensive. Its analysis is consistent with our applicable law and precedents, and we therefore adopt the court’s well reasoned decision. See Meri-Weather, Inc. v. Freedom of Information Commission, 47 Conn. Sup. 113, 778 A.2d 1038 (2000). It would serve no useful puipose to repeat the discussion contained therein. See Sansone v. Nationwide Mutual Fire Ins. Co., 62 Conn. App. 526, 528, 771 A.2d 243 (2001).
The judgment is affirmed.
Gregory P. Haskins, the chief executive officer of Meri-Weather, also was a plaintiff in the first case. We refer in this opinion to Meri-Weather as the plaintiff.
Benigni, a Meriden city councilor, and Kelley, a managing editor for the Record-Journal Publishing Company in Meriden, each had sought certain financial documents from Meri-Weather prior to filing complaints with the commission seeking disclosure of those documents.
The plaintiff filed separate appeals in the Superior Court from the commission’s decisions. The Superior Court dismissed the plaintiffs appeals in separate memoranda of decision. In its memorandum in the second appeal, the court adopted its decision that is contained in its memorandum in the first case. We adopt the court’s memorandum of decision in the first case as a correct statement of the law in both cases.
Practice Book § 61-7 (a) (1) provides in relevant part: “Two or more plaintiffs or defendants in the same case may appeal jointly or severally. Separate cases heard together and involving at least one common party may as of right be appealed jointly, provided all the trial court docket numbers are shown on the appeal form . . . .”
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.