Brown Act violation as misdemeanor

Q: What are the penalties for a City Council member who violates the Brown Act?

A: A member of a City Council can be guilty of a misdemeanor under certain circumstances. Specifically, under California Government Code section 54959, each member of a legislative body who attends a meeting of that legislative body where action is taken in violation of the Brown Act, and "where the member intends to deprive the public of information to which the member knows or has reason to know the public is entitled" is guilty of a misdemeanor. Please note that the member must have the "intent" to deprive the public of information to which it is entitled.