FAC, EFF and Wired win unsealing of documents in hip-hop website seizure case

BY DEBORAH FRUIN–A federal district court in Los Angeles has unsealed records related to a government shutdown of a music blog/website, Dajaz1.com, for suspicion of copyright piracy. The unsealing had been requested by FAC, Wired, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Using a forfeiture authority usually invoked to seize cars and houses in drug cases, federal [...]

FAC Announces Advisory Board Members

The First Amendment Coalition is pleased to announce the creation of a Board of Advisors to provide advice to FAC’s Directors and staff. Members of the Advisory Board are leaders and experts in areas of importance to FAC, including First Amendment law, journalism, the internet’s impact on free speech, Freedom of Information, philanthropy and the media [...]

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 Evan Hansen has been elected President of FAC’s board of directors. He takes over from John Raess,  San Francisco Bureau Chief for the Associated Press, who had served as President of the Board since 2010. Carol Melamed, media attorney and former counsel [...]

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  the administration’s controversial policy regarding the “lethal targeting” of terrorists abroad who are also US citizens. Holder’s remarks offered a distillation of the legal rationale developed in a classified Department of Justice memo that is the subject of a First Amendment Coalition (FAC)  lawsuit. [...]

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 the Obama Administration to make public its legal rationale for the “lethal targeting” of Anwar al-Awlaki, an American- born US citizen and al-Qaeda operative who was killed in a CIA drone strike in Yemen last September. The lawsuit seeks public access under the [...]

FAC sues Sacramento Council for emails discussing controversial voting map

The First Amendment Coalition and a Sacramento community group have filed suit against the Sacramento City Council for access to Council emails and other records concerning a  controversial redistricting plan for Council districts that was adopted last summer. The suit, filed Friday by FAC and Eye on Sacramento, a local nonprofit, grows out of the [...]

FAC sues Sacramento City Council for emails on redistricting plan

The First Amendment Coalition and a Sacramento community group have filed suit against the Sacramento City Council for access to Council emails and other records concerning a  controversial redistricting plan for Council districts that was adopted last summer. The suit, filed Friday by FAC and Eye on Sacramento, a local nonprofit, grows out of the [...]

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 States v. Alvarez,  that will test the limits of free speech protection for false speech.  FAC’s brief was written by lawyers Gary Bostwick, Jean-Paul Jassy and Kevin Vick of  LA law firm Bostwick & Jassy, LLP. The Alvarez case concerns [...]

FAC remembers founding member, P-E Publisher Tim Hays.

Howard H. “Tim” Hays, the much honored former editor, publisher and chairman of the Press-Enterprise newspaper in Riverside, CA, and founding member of the First Amendment Coalition, died October 14 in St. Louis.  He was 94. “Tim was a rarity, a man whose moral compass was set on true,” Mel Opotowsky recalled in a Press-Enterprise [...]

Obama acts on FAC petition against China’s “Great Firewall”

October 19, 2011—The Obama administration on Wednesday said that, using World Trade Organization rules, it was calling on the government of China to answer detailed questions about its censorship of the internet–in particular, the blocking of websites of US-based businesses seeking to tap the vast Chinese consumer market. The announcement, which grows out of an [...]

Brown vetoes bill limiting cellphone searches by police

Gov. Jerry Brown has vetoed SB 914, a bill sponsored by the First Amendment Coalition that would have required police to get a warrant before searching through the smart phones and other electronic devices of people they arrest. The bill would have overridden a recent California Supreme Court decision allowing warrantless searches of cellphones.  Interpreting [...]

Steve Jobs vs. The Beatles, and other thoughts on the passing of a superstar

BY PETER SCHEER–Steve Jobs died at age 56, a young man. But one of the things that stands out about him is the longevity of his superstardom. Jimmy Carter was president when Jobs first appeared on the scene as the bearded personification of high-tech cool. From the early Apple PCs to the launch of the [...]

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 desk.  We faxed the first 200 petition signatures to Brown’s office on Fri., Sept  23 and today we sent him an updated list including all those who’ve signed this week.  We will continue to collect signatures and update the Governor until [...]

The First Amendment needs your help. NOW.

Join the Challenge! We need to raise exactly $47,209 to meet the overall goal of $400,000. I know you care deeply about freedom of speech and the public’s right to know. These rights of democratic citizenship underlie all others because they enable the people to hold their government accountable. Find out how your contribution will [...]

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 an arrest, has been approved by the California Legislature. The legislation now goes to the Governor’s office, where, because of opposition by law enforcement, its fate is uncertain. The Senate yesterday approved the bill, which was introduced by Senator Mark Leno (D-San [...]

Raymond Pryke donates $125,000 to FAC legal initiatives

The First Amendment Coalition is pleased to announce that it has received major gifts from veteran newspaper owner and publisher Raymond Pryke. The contributions totaling $125,000 will fund FAC’s litigation project, Hotline service and other legal initiatives. “Raymond Pryke’s generosity is a huge boost to free speech and the public’s right to know,” said Peter [...]

Have a legal question on FOI issues? Ask us. FREE!

The First Amendment Coalition offers an incredibly useful and FREE legal consultation service. FAC’s Legal Hotline, available on our website, is staffed by top media lawyers who will answer your questions about freedom-of-information, open-meeting laws, First Amendment protections for journalists, bloggers and ordinary citizens, and other open-government issues. I’m writing because FAC wants you to [...]

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 ruled that State Bar records about the race and ethnicity of Bar applicants are subject to a “common law” right of public access which, following further proceedings, could result in their disclosure–stripped of all names and identifying information–for academic research into the [...]

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 a case involving public access to information about government pensions. The third district Court of Appeal ruled that the California Public Records Act requires county governments–in this instance, Sacramento–to disclose, by employee name, pension amounts paid to retired county [...]

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 was filed Thursday in an appeal of a Brown Act law suit involving  the Tulare County Board of Supervisors.  The suit challenges the supervisors’ practice of holding lunchtime meetings–regularly and often–that were nonpublic and held without notification to the public or [...]

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 to compel disclosure of an inspection report on conditions in an unoccupied residential property potentially posing health risks to nearby residents. The city, despite repeated requests, has refused to release a copy of the report to a neighbor, Gail Reznik, and other [...]

Download Sunshine Week Coast to Coast

Sunshine Week 2011 has arrived and this year FAC has partnered with the NFOIC (National Freedom of Information Coalition) to provide a mobile version of their comprehensive Sunshine Week listings. Sunshine Week Coast to Coast, featured on FAC’s iPhone App, iOpen Gov, is  a guide to the events, resources, editorials, news and special features happening [...]

FAC’s Duffy Carolan honored by journalists’ group

First Amendment lawyer Duffy Carolan–who is also a long-time Board member of the First Amendment Coalition–will receive a special honor from the Society of Professional Journalists (NorCal Chapter) at an award ceremony on March 16. Carolan, a lawyer in the San Francisco office of Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, is receiving the organization’s “Legal Counsel” award [...]

Columbia j-school honors Brugmann for “raising hell and printing the news”

Bruce Brugmann, founding editor of the San Francisco Bay Guardian, and First Amendment Coalition board member, has been named as a 2011 Alumni Award winner by Columbia J-School. Brugmann, who graduated from Columbia in 1958, will be honored at ceremonies in April alongside three other recipients of the 2011 Alumni Award:  HRH Rym Ali; NBC [...]

Criminal prosecution of WikiLeaks bodes ill for U.S. media

If the U.S. succeeds in bringing WikiLeaks to heel for publishing classified documents, it could end up costing the media its ability to publish classified information with impunity. -db Los Angeles Times Editorial December 9, 2010 U.S. officials reportedly are hoping to capitalize on the arrest of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in London this week [...]

FAC, News media urge Supreme Court to limit FOIA exemption in case heard this week

The US Supreme Court yesterday heard arguments in a FOIA personnel exemption case,  Milner v. Department of the Navy.  FAC along with 19 other news organizations filed an amicus brief for the case. The Washington Post‘s and other news accounts suggest the Court was skeptical of the government’s effort to expand a seemingly narrow FOIA [...]

SF Bay Guardian’s $21M award stands after CA Supreme Court refuses rival’s request to review amount

The CA Supreme Court declined to review the $21 million damage award a lower court had ordered the SF Weekly to pay its rival, the SF Bay Guardian, in 2008. The Bay Guardian successfully argued that the Weekly had slashed advertising prices to drive the Bay Guardian out of business.  Reportedly, management of the papers [...]

FAC posts online confidential CalPERS’ docs ordered released by Court

The First Amendment Coalition has posted on the internet more than 1,700 CalPERS documents relating to an East Palo Alto real estate investment in which CalPERS lost all of its $100 million investment.  The records–which include the partnership agreement, offering memorandum and email exchanges about the failed investment—were ordered released by the Superior Court in [...]

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. [...]

FAC wins case against CalPERS for records on disastrous real estate investment

The Superior Court in San Francisco ruled Tuesday in FAC’s favor against CalPERS regarding access to records on their PageMill real estate investment. According to the ruling (FAC v CalPERS Order), the Court agreed with FAC that Govt Code section 6254.26, the exemption for certain information related to “alternative investments,”  does NOT apply to real [...]

Announcing FAC’s “Kiss” and “Kiss-Off” awards

In keeping with the new normal of polarized politics, FAC has launched a new feature that views the world of First Amendment issues as consisting of good guys and bad guys. The good guys, on whom we bestow a “First Amendment Kiss,” are people and institutions who, by their acts, words, or example, strengthen free [...]

CalPERS sued for documents related to failed $100 million investment in Page Mill properties

The First Amendment Coalition has sued CalPERS to obtain records on why the pension fund invested $100 million in Page Mill Properties, the biggest residential landlord in East Palo Alto -SMD Palo Alto Daily News By Bonnie Eslinger July 20, 2010 A nonprofit public interest organization has sued CalPERS to obtain records that may shed [...]

PRESS RELEASE: FAC Suit Against CalPERS Seeks Records on Controversial E Palo Alto Real Estate Investment

FAC—Monday July 19—The First Amendment Coalition (FAC) today announced that it has sued CalPERS, the retirement system for California government workers, over access to records about the agency’s ill-fated investment in an East Palo Alto residential real estate development that has gone bust–at a loss to CalPERS of all of its $100 million stake in [...]

Court orders release of county retirees’ pension payments in case filed by FAC and the Sacramento Bee

In an important legal victory, the Superior Court in Sacramento has ruled that the pension system for county government workers must make public retirees’ names, and their pension benefits, for all retirees receiving $100,000 or more per year. The decision is the result of a lawsuit filed jointly by the First Amendment Coalition and the [...]

FAC, media coalition win unsealing of search warrant affidavit in Gizmodo/iPhone matter

The media coalition organized by the First Amendment Coalition (FAC) has been successful in securing disclosure of the search warrant affidavit used to search an online journalist’s home for evidence concerning the Gizmodo/Apple/missing iPhone investigation.  Joining FAC in the unsealing motion were the Associated Press, Wired.com, Bloomberg News, CNET, the LA Times and the California [...]

AP, Bloomberg, CNET, Wired.com, LA Times, CNPA join FAC motion in lost-iPhone case

FAC–The First Amendment Coalition and major news media have requested the California Court presiding over the Gizmodo/missing iPhone matter to unseal judicial records relating to the warrant issued for the search of an online journalist’s home and the seizure of his computer, hard drives and other digital files. The motion to unseal the warrant affidavit [...]

FAC files Brown Act suit alleging pattern & practice of “notice” violations by LA City Council

FAC–The First Amendment Coalition has filed suit against the Los Angeles City Council over the Council’s failure to tell the public, in advance, that it was about to consider and vote on layoffs of thousands of government workers. FAC’s suit, claiming a “pattern and practice” of violations of the Brown Act, requests declaratory and injunctive [...]

Dan Gillmor: NYTimes turns blind eye to IPad App bans?

Does the NYTimes care that Apple bans Apps due to content? Dan Gillmor, FAC board member and  director of the Knight Center for Digital Media Entrepreneurship at Arizona State University, questions the nature of the two media giants’ relationship, but as he writes in his  Mediactive blog,  “I’ve received, after 11 days since first asking, [...]

Entrepreneurial media program wins Innovation award

The Knight Center for Digital Media Entrepreneurship , under the direction of Dan Gillmor, a leading expert in digital media, and FAC Board of Directors member, has been awarded the 2010 Arizona State University President’s Award for Innovation. -df Knight Center Wins ASU Innovation Award April 16, 2010 · Published By Editor East Valley Living, [...]

First Amendment Coalition & SacBee file suit for names of Sacramento County retirees with highest pensions

The Sacramento Bee and the First Amendment Coalition have filed a lawsuit to force the Sacramento County Employees’ Retirement System to release the names of all its retirees with pensions of over $100,000. -db The Sacramento Bee April 16, 2010 By Robert Lewis The Sacramento Bee and the First Amendment Coalition on Thursday filed a [...]

Next Page »