Liable for Libelous Labeling

On numerous occasions, Albany City Clerk, Nicole Almaguer, has exposed the City of Albany to liability with her statements regarding suspects, and the circumstances surrounding their arrests, in actions conducted by the Albany Police Department.

The assertions, made by Albany's Public Information Officer, were most likely based on statements given to her by the Albany Police Department. However, that fact does not preclude her responsibility, as a public official, to make every effort to remain as unbiased as possible, when reporting suspects' arrests to the media. Instead, Ms. Almaguer seems to have omitted the words "suspect", "suspected", "alleged" and "allegedly" from her vocabulary, entirely.

A response from the City regarding this matter should include a statement of what actions will be taken to prevent libelous accusations (branded as the City of Albany's "official statement") from being released to the media and others, as well as a general apology to those whose livelihoods have been harmed/affected by these slanderous press releases. Lest the City of Albany find themselves the defendants in a defamation lawsuit.

The City of Albany, California, is located in the United States of America. In this country, the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty. I know of no judicial system in the world, in which arrestees are presumed guilty as soon as they are taken into custody.

If Nicole Almaguer cannot refrain from making biased statements on behalf of the City, then perhaps City Clerk is not the right position for the City of Albany to employ her in.