Commentary
Conservatives’ faith in local government is misplaced: The closer government is to the people, the more government is controlled by special interests.BY PETER SCHEER — In America today, conservatism’s one clear fault line, cutting across cultural and socioeconomic schisms, aligns conservatives based on their views about the relationship between government and its citizens. On one side are born-again libertarians, like supporters of perpetual presidential candidate Ron Paul. Believing that governmental power and personal freedom are always and everywhere inversely related, born-again libertarians are hostile to government at all levels:... [Read more]
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Coalition News
FAC, EFF and Wired win unsealing of documents in hip-hop website seizure caseBY DEBORAH FRUIN–A federal district court in Los Angeles has unsealed records...
FAC Announces Advisory Board Members
The First Amendment Coalition is pleased to announce the creation of a Board of...
Wired.com Editor Hansen elected president of FAC board; media attorney Melamed is VP; Gingras, of Google, joins Board.
The First Amendment Coalition is pleased to announce that Wired.com Editor in Chief...
AG Holder, in speech, describes al-Awlaki “lethal targeting” memo that is the subject of recent FAC suit
FAC—Attorney General Eric Holder last week began the process of explaining ...
FAC sues US for memo on “lethal targeting” of al Qaeda figure (& US citizen) al-Awlaki, killed in 2010 drone strike
SAN RAFAEL, CA—-The First Amendment Coalition (FAC) today filed suit to require...
FAC sues Sacramento Council for emails discussing controversial voting map
The First Amendment Coalition and a Sacramento community group have filed suit against...
FAC sues Sacramento City Council for emails on redistricting plan
The First Amendment Coalition and a Sacramento community group have filed suit against...
FAC files amicus brief in US Supreme Court “false speech” case
The First Amendment Coalition has filed an amicus brief in a US Supreme Court case, United...
Howard H. “Tim” Hays, the much honored former editor, publisher and chairman...
Obama acts on FAC petition against China’s “Great Firewall”
October 19, 2011—The Obama administration on Wednesday said that, using World...
Brown vetoes bill limiting cellphone searches by police
Gov. Jerry Brown has vetoed SB 914, a bill sponsored by the First Amendment Coalition...
BY PETER SCHEER–Steve Jobs died at age 56, a young man. But one of the things...
Call to action: Sign petition urging Gov. Brown to sign SB 914 and stop warrantless cellphone searches
Petition Update (Thurs, Sept 29, 2011) SB 914 is still sitting on Governor Brown’s...
Join the Challenge! We need to raise exactly $47,209 to meet the overall goal of...
Legislature approves FAC-sponsored bill on cell phone privacy. Will Brown sign it?
SB 914, a FAC-sponsored bill to prohibit warrantless searches of cell phones during...
The First Amendment Coalition is pleased to announce that it has received major...
Have a legal question on FOI issues? Ask us. FREE!
The First Amendment Coalition offers an incredibly useful and FREE legal consultation...
New ruling in FAC case opens door to release of state bar records needed for affirmative action research
In an important decision on freedom of information, a California appeals court today...
FAC and Sac Bee, in major court victory, gain access to pension payments, by name, to county retirees
A California appeals court ruled May 11 in favor of FAC and the Sacramento Bee in...
FAC leads amicus signed by 90+ publications in Brown Act case begun by the late Rich McKee
A FAC led amicus brief joined by more than 90 newspapers and other publications...
FAC files suit for access to report on hazardous toxins found in Calabasas
The First Amendment Coalition (FAC) has filed suit against the city of Calabasas...
Sunshine Week 2011 has arrived and this year FAC has partnered with the NFOIC (National...
FAC’s Duffy Carolan honored by journalists’ group
First Amendment lawyer Duffy Carolan–who is also a long-time Board member of...
Bruce Brugmann, founding editor of the San Francisco Bay Guardian, and First Amendment...
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1st Amendment News
Trial over allegations that John Travolta committed sexual battery could be privateThe attorney for an anonymous masseuse suing John Travolta for assault, sexual battery...
Columbia Pictures wins lawsuit over omission of man from ‘The Social Network’
A Harvard classmate of Mark Zuckerberg who earlier settled a suit with Zuckerberg...
Federal judge upholds right of Georgian State professors to post excerpts of published works online
A federal judge ruled substantially for Georgian State University in a copyright...
Free speech: Federal appeals court orders further hearing for Michigan prison employee
The 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals revived a lawsuit brought by a Michigan prison...
ACLU supports State Department employee under fire for criticizing Iraq reconstruction
The American Civil Liberties Union has sent a letter to the State Department in support...
California judge dismisses charges against Santa Cruz photographer covering Occupy protest
A photojournalist facing charges of conspiracy, vandalism and trespassing went free...
California: Orange County water district drops closed session on negotiations with desal company
Amid a dispute over whether negotiations over the price of water from a proposed...
Reporter claims gender discrimination in firing
A former reporter, Sarah Tressler, claimed the Houston Chronicle fired her for...
Free speech: Public employees must be protected in fulfilling their civic reponsibilities
The U.S. Supreme Court finding in Garcetti v. Ceballos sharply limited the freedom...
Congress assails leaker of al Qaeda failed bomb plot
Leading members of Congress condemned the leak of details of the failed al Qaeda...
Agency investigating GSA for travel fraud refusing to release records
The office of the Inspector General for the General Services Administration has refused...
Federal court shields Google/NSA partnership from public scrutiny
The U.S. Court of Appeals from D.C. ruled that interchanges between Google and the...
Congressman questions alleged Pentagon reprisals on reporters
A U.S. congressman from Georgia is putting pressure on the Pentagon for what he claims...
Opinion: First Amendment protects public’s right to record events in public spaces
Even though a compelling argument can be made for the First Amendment right of journalists,...
Federal judge keeps CIA Bay of Pigs records under wraps
A federal district judge agreed with the Central Intelligence Agency that there were...
California: Disturbing lack of transparency in firing Atwater superintendent
By a 3-2 vote the trustees of the Atwater Elementary School District fired the district...
Cincinnati Ben-Gals cheerleader can pursue defamation lawsuit against gossip website
A Cincinnati Ben-Gals cheerleader won a round in federal appeals court in her defamation...
Environmental nonprofit seeks records of White House meetings with groups to discuss EPA regulations
The Environment Integrity Project is filing a lawsuit for records of meetings held...
Romance novel ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ subjected to censorship
Public libraries have been removing the sexy romance novel, “Fifty Shades of...
Connecticut: Soccer coach under investigation for trashing student newspapers
A Central Connecticut State University soccer coach tossed 150 copies of the school’s...
Lawyer sues Harvard Law School for defamation over article in law journal
A lawyer with a degree from Harvard Law School is suing the school for defamation...
California: Shasta courts admits error and releases records of 2400 criminal cases
At the insistence of The Redding Record Searchlight that records of some 2400 criminal...
California’s open meeting law allows memos from superintendents to school board with some caveats
Customary weekly memos from superintendents to school board members does not necessarily...
Free speech: Actor claims views of global warming got him fired
Actor Ben Stein is losing ground in his lawsuit that alleges that the Japanese computer...
Opinion: Accountability journalism can survive with government funding
Investigative journalism is in jeopardy and not just from shift of resources from...
Illinois eavesdropping law loses round in federal appeals court
The 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that Illinois could not enforce their...
China kicks out Al Jazeera reportedly for coverage of labor camps
Neither Al Jazeera or the Chinese government was commenting, but China expelled Al...
Vladimir Putin: Russian president sworn in while police attack protesters
Vladimir Putin assumed the presidency once again promising to expand civil rights...
Marine likely to fail in appealing discharge for criticizing Obama
A U.S. Marine who was given an other-than-honorable discharge recently for criticizing...
Businesses upset with user reviews sue in federal court to strip Yelp of protections under federal law
The Electronic Frontier Foundation filed an amicus brief in federal appeals court...
Opinion: Zero tolerance policies target school children’s innocent expressive conduct
School children across the country are being punished for innocent acts, speech and...
Airport security administration publishes complaint file four years late
The Transportation Security Administration in charge of airport security finally...
California: Plan shelved to require bloggers to reveal payments from political campaigns
A political watchdog organization has withdrawn a proposal to require bloggers to...
California: Oakland Coliseum management contract blocked over open meeting irregularity
The Oakland Coliseum authority is taking a re-vote on a management contract for running...
California: Kern County supervisor agenda item raises suspicions
The listing of job description of the county administrative officer appears nearly...
Opinion: Los Angeles City Council ad hoc committee used to avoid requirements of open meeting law
Angelenos for a Clean Environment is protesting that a LA City Council ad hoc environmental...
California: Fresno grand jury urges transparency for animal control services
A Fresno County grand jury recommended that the Central California SPCA should reveal...
Protesters against New York City police stop-and-frisk policy found guilty
Twenty protesters, including civil rights leader and Princeton professor Cornel West,...
Federal judge cites constitutional rights in suspending Texas cuts to Planned Parenthood
A federal judge prevented Texas from denying funding to Planned Parenthood clinics...
Federal government no longer targeting journalists to stop leaks
To shut down leaks, the Obama administration is bypassing journalists and relying...
Fourteen-year-old girl protests perfect faces in fashion magazines
An eighth grade student from Maine met with a Seventeen editor last week to make...
Buffet says he may buy newspapers
Warren Buffet, the eminent octogenarian investor, expressed interest in acquiring...
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