Proposals for Greater Media Access Released for Public Comment

A California report with a series of proposals to improve media and public access to court records and state proceedings has been released for “public comment” by the Judicial Council. First Amendment Coalition September 22, 2010 By Susana Montes The draft report includes 11 recommendations from the Bench-Bar-Media Committee, appointed by the California Supreme Court. [...]

Free speech technology project collapses

A prominent US technology project designed to help Iranians evade internet censorship has collapsed amid recriminations this week after what its lead developer admitted had been a case of “hype trumping security.” The Financial Times September 15 2010 By Richard Waters in San Francisco The plan, known as Haystack, was part of a broader wave [...]

Agency must release names of people with grazing permits

The Bureau of Land Management must release the names and addresses of people with grazing permits on the nation’s public land, a federal court has ruled. September 15, 2010 By The Associated Press BOISE, Idaho —The decision, handed down in Idaho’s U.S. District Court on Sept. 13, came after two environmental groups sued for the [...]

Univ. of Wyoming holds free speech forum

Public colleges must be neutral in allowing controversial speakers and their ideas on campus and must work harder to educate citizens about the roles of colleges in presenting varying ideas, speakers at a free speech forum said Monday. The Associated Press September 15, 2010 By Bob Moen LARAMIE, Wyo. —The University of Wyoming organized the [...]

News rater, anti-Palin group win government contracts

The federal government hired a New Orleans man for $18,000 to appraise whether news stories about its actions during the Gulf oil spill were positive or negative for the Obama administration. September 15, 2010 By The Associated Press WASHINGTON — The administration was keenly sensitive to comparisons between its response and former President George W. [...]

U.S. judges agree to pilot study of cameras in court

The nation’s federal judges agreed yesterday to a pilot project that could televise some civil trials — 16 years after the judges ended a similar experiment. September 15, 2010 By The Associated Press WASHINGTON —Appeals court judge David Sentelle told reporters that many of the details remained to be worked out, but that cameras could [...]

Murfreesboro mosque backers, foes to address commission

Opponents of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro’s planned mosque on Veals Road won’t monopolize public comments at Thursday’s Rutherford County Commission meeting. The Tennessean September 15, 2010 By Scott Broden “This time a majority of speakers are going to be in support of our First Amendment rights,” said Thomas Moss, a Murfreesboro resident who is [...]

ACLU challenges searches of laptops at borders

Civil rights lawyers sued the government yesterday to stop authorities from snooping in the laptops, cell phones and cameras of international travelers without probable cause. September 8, 2010 By The Associated Press NEW YORK — The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn against the Department of Homeland Security as well as U.S. [...]

Federal judge tosses Wash. limit on late campaign spending

State officials are mulling their next steps after a federal judge overturned a state law limiting campaign contributions in the final weeks of ballot-measure campaigns. September 8, 2010 By The Associated Press OLYMPIA, Wash. — If the ruling stands, money could flow even more freely to this year’s crop of voter initiatives. Six such measures [...]

Copyright ‘troll’ seeks $150,000 from Republican candidate

A copyright enforcement service has filed a lawsuit seeking $150,000 from Nevada Republican Senate candidate Sharron Angle for posting two newspaper articles without authorization. The Register September 8, 2010 By Dan Goodin A copyright enforcement service has filed a lawsuit seeking $150,000 from Nevada Republican Senate candidate Sharron Angle for posting two newspaper articles without [...]

Florida pastor has legal right to burn Qurans

Florida pastor Terry Jones will undoubtedly offend and infuriate many people around the world if he follows through on a plan to burn Muslim Qurans at his church this weekend. The Associated Press September 8, 2010 By Curt Anderson  MIAMI —The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution will protect him, in the same way it [...]

Tenn. police mulling plans to enforce anti-gang law

Nashville police are trying to protect a relatively new law that allows them to ban gang members from certain areas. September 8, 2010 By The Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. —In response to growing concerns that gangs were disrupting the safety and quality of life of Tennessee’s citizens, the state enacted a nuisance law in 2009 [...]

Craigslist’s ‘Adult Services’ decision a blow to free speech?

Craigslist has decided to eplace its “Adult Services” section with a “Censored” bar that blocks content. Does this  limit free speech? MSNBC/ Commentary September 6, 2010 By Athima Chansanchai With Craigslist’s decision to replace its “Adult Services” section of its “Services” classifieds with a “Censored” bar that blocks that content, the online powerhouse has once [...]

Judge tosses out privacy claim against Michael Moore over ‘Sicko’ segment

A federal magistrate judge in Tacoma has thrown out key claims in a lawsuit filed against controversial filmmaker Michael Moore and his Academy Award-nominated documentary “Sicko,” the first use of a state law that bars lawsuits targeting conduct associated with free speech and the First Amendment. Seattle Times September 6, 2010 By Mike Carter Related [...]

Newspaper gets records detailing remote Idaho shootout

Public records recently obtained by the Post Register detail a strange incident in which four Idaho State Police officers were left scrambling for safety when they were shot at by an unknown assailant at a remote mining claim. September 6, 2010 By The Associated Press IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — No one was hit by the [...]

Federal judge won’t dismiss KKK suit

A federal judge in St. Louis has rejected a state request to dismiss the lawsuit filed by a Ku Klux Klan group. September 5, 2010 By The Associated Press ST. LOUIS —Frank Ancona, imperial wizard of the Traditionalist American Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, is seeking to rent a pavilion at the Fort Davidson [...]

Court revives Chicago’s disorderly conduct law

Two peace activists have lost a court battle to declare that Chicago’s disorderly-conduct ordinance is unconstitutional. The Chicago Sun-Times September 3, 2010 By Frank Main

German court rules against YouTube in copyright dispute over Brightman videos

A German court ruled Friday that Google Inc.’s subsidiary YouTube LLC must pay compensation after users uploaded several videos of performances by singer Sarah Brightman in violation of copyright laws. September 3, 2010 By The Associated Press (CP) BERLIN —The Hamburg state court said the standardized question to users about whether they have the necessary [...]

Cuban blogger Sanchez named IPI press freedom hero

Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez was named World Press Freedom Hero by media watchdog IPI on Friday, for her defiance of press restrictions and her commitment to free speech in her country. September 3, 2010 By AFP VIENNA —”Sanchez’s tremendously important work provides a glimpse into what is otherwise a closed world,” Alison Bethel McKenzie, director [...]

From Hiding, Indonesian Defends Free Expression

Hiding out with a two-year jail sentence hanging over his head and vigilantes vowing to track him down, the editor of Indonesia’s defunct version of Playboy magazine, Erwin Arnada, insists he was never in the pornography business. The New York Times September 3, 2010 By Aubrey Belford JAKARTA —The men’s magazine, which began publication in [...]

Federal court overturns Neb. law on flag desecration

A federal judge overturned Nebraska’s ban on flag mutilation yesterday, clearing the way for Kansas protesters to continue trampling on the U.S. flag when they protest at military funerals. September 3, 2010 By The Associated Press OMAHA, Neb. — The ruling from U.S. District Judge Richard Kopf said the law can’t be applied as long [...]

Dems accuse Fox News of bolstering Ohio candidate

The Democratic Governors Association filed an elections complaint in Ohio yesterday, alleging Fox News Network illegally helped the Republican gubernatorial nominee solicit funds during a television appearance. September 3, 2010 By The Associated Press COLUMBUS, Ohio — In an escalating battle with Fox’s news division, the association alleges that Fox allowed John Kasich to request [...]

9/11 groups oppose mosque rallies planned for anniversary

Both supporters and opponents of a proposed Islamic cultural center should stand against rallies planned for the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, groups representing some relatives of attack victims said yesterday. September 3, 2010 By The Associated Press NEW YORK —Protests on that day would be “disrespectful to all who see 9/11 as a [...]

First Amendment: N.H. inmate loses facial-hair challenge

A federal judge has ruled that inmates have no First Amendment right to grow a beard, rejecting the claim of an Orthodox Jew who claimed prison policy banning facial hair longer than a quarter-inch violated his constitutional rights. September 1, 2010 By The Associated Press CONCORD, N.H. —U.S. District Chief Judge Steven McAuliffe ruled against [...]

First Amendment: Botox maker to pay $600M to resolve investigation

Allergan Inc., the maker of wrinkle-smoothing Botox, has agreed to pay $600 million to settle a yearslong federal investigation into its marketing of the top-selling, botulin-based drug. The company argued it had a First Amendment right to educate doctors about how to safely use Botox, even for uses that are not currently approved. The Associated [...]

Lawyer wins bid to depose ‘Law & Order’ producers in libel suit

Attorney Ravi Batra can question “Law & Order” producer Dick Wolf in connection with a $15 million libel action the lawyer filed in 2004 against 35 defendants, including Wolf and NBC Universal, a New York judge has ruled. The New York Law Journal September 1, 2010 By Noeleen G. Walder The suit centers around a [...]

China starts asking new cellphone users for ID

The Chinese government started to implement a long-discussed measure that requires cellphone subscribers to register their identities when setting up an account, prompting concerns over privacy in the world’s largest mobile market. The Wall Street Journal September 1, 2010 By Loretta Chao BEIJING—The measure went into effect Wednesday, with customer service representatives at mobile operators [...]

Supreme Court asked to decide whether White House has right to exclude critics from public speeches

The Supreme Court is being asked to decide whether all Americans, including the president’s critics, have a right to attend his public speeches, or whether the White House retains the right to screen out dissenters. McClatchy-Tribune September 1, 2010 By David G. Savage WASHINGTON – While the current administration says it does not screen out [...]

Detroit-area juror removed over Facebook post

A judge removed a juror from a trial in suburban Detroit after the young woman wrote on Facebook that the defendant was guilty. The problem? The trial wasn’t over. September 1, 2010 By The Associated Press MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. — Hadley Jons could be found in contempt when she returns to the Macomb County circuit [...]

EEOC sues meatpacker over treatment of Muslims

Muslim Somali workers at two JBS Swift & Co. meatpacking plants in Colorado and Nebraska face ongoing harassment because of their race and religion, including being prevented from getting a drink at one of the plants after fasting all day during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleges. September 1, [...]

Judge to EPA: Stop destroying records Union Pacific wants

A federal judge ordered the Environmental Protection Agency yesterday to stop destroying records Union Pacific requested about lead contamination in Omaha. An expert was appointed to make sure the agency complies. August 27, 2010 By The Associated Press OMAHA, Neb. —The judge’s order resolved several issues the railroad and EPA couldn’t agree on when discussing [...]

Judge refuses to stop Missouri law on sexual businesses

Missouri’s wide-ranging limitations on sexual businesses will take effect Saturday after a state judge on Friday denied a request from a coalition of sexual store owners and erotic dancers to temporarily block the new law. The Associated Press August 27, 2010 By David E. Lieb JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The nudity must stop at Missouri [...]

Journalist banned by Pentagon gets First Amendment Award

Carol Rosenberg, The Miami Herald reporter banned by the Pentagon earlier this year from covering military commissions at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has been awarded the Society of Professional Journalists’ First Amendment Award for her efforts to cover the detention center there despite “consistent hostility in covering her beat.” August 27, 2010 By MacClatchy Newspapers Rosenberg [...]

Sotomayor: Free speech vs. security likely to come before Court

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor said yesterday that the nation’s high court likely would be asked again to weigh issues of national security versus free speech because of the recently leaked classified war documents posted on the WikiLeaks website. August 27, 2010 By The Associated Press DENVER — Sotomayor told high school and college students [...]

FCC asks 2nd Circuit to review fleeting-expletives ruling

Federal regulators are appealing a recent court decision that struck down a 2004 government policy that says broadcasters can be fined for allowing even a single curse word on live television. August 27, 2010 By The Associated Press WASHINGTON —A three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York threw out [...]

NFL cheerleader wins $11 million libel suit

A gossip website has been hit with an $11 million judgment for libel and slander after posting false accusations about a northern Kentucky teacher who sidelines as a Cincinnati Bengals cheerleader. August 26, 2010 By The Associated Press  LOUISVILLE, Ky. —The judgment against Dirty World Entertainment Recordings, which runs the site Thedirt.com, came yesterday after [...]

Mayor Defends Mosque near Ground Zero

Mayor Michael Bloomberg delivered an impassioned speech on religious freedom at a Ramadan dinner at Gracie Mansion Tuesday night, declaring there’s “nowhere in the five boroughs of New York City that is off limits to any religion.” August 25, 2010 The Wall Street Journal By Michael Howard Saul Mr. Bloomberg, speaking at an annual Iftar [...]

Facebook Fights Privacy Concerns

The launch of Facebook Inc.’s Places location service this week sparked new privacy concerns about the popular social network. But the company’s efforts to mollify critics before the launch stemmed some of the blowback. August 25, 2010 The Wall Street Journal By Geoffrey A. Fowler Places is a feature that lets users share their physical [...]

Campus newspapers ask high court to overturn alcohol-ad ban

The ACLU of Virginia has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review a federal appeals court ruling that upholds a ban on alcohol advertising in Virginia’s college newspapers. August 25, 2010 By The Associated Press RICHMOND, Va. —In a 2-1 ruling in April, a panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals concluded that [...]

Calif. televangelist can sue ABC for defamation, 9th Circuit says

A federal appeals court yesterday reinstated a televangelist’s defamation lawsuit claiming ABC’s “20/20” news program used a fictionalized sermon in which he portrayed himself as a wealthy braggart out of context. August 25, 2010 By The Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO —A trial court judge had earlier tossed out the lawsuit filed by the Rev. Frederick [...]

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