Obama asks for renewal of Patriot Act provisions sanctioning secret domestic spying

The Obama administration has notified Congress that it backs renewing provisions of the Patriot Act which expires at the end of the year. The provisions include a secret court for granting wiretaps and warrants for records – banking, library and medical. -DB Wired September 15, 2009 By David Kravets The Obama administration has told Congress it [...]

Cuts in newspaper staffs reduce efforts for public access to courtrooms

Observers worry that cuts in newspaper legal budgets will mean fewer challenges to efforts to keep court proceedings secret. Historically, newspapers, small and large, have mounted access battles for the public’s benefit. -DB The New York Times September 1, 2009 By Adam Liptak WASHINGTON, D.C. – You don’t see newspapers fighting to open court proceedings the [...]

Broadcom co-founder tries to keep appeal hearing secret

Accused of securities fraud, a co-founder of Broadcom Corp. wants to bar the public from his hearing before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. -DB The National Law Journal August 20, 2-009 By Amanda Bronstad Henry Samueli, the co-founder of Broadcom Corp., is fighting to keep the public out of a pending hearing before the 9th [...]

Public oversight needed for juvenile justice

The juvenile justice system has improved from a paternalistic system with little regard for the Consitutional rights of the children, but, writes journalist Kathleen Cullinan, the children could benefit from opening juvenile courts to public scrutiny. -DB The News Media & The Law Commentary Summer 2009 By Kathleen Cullinan Compared with the rest of the American [...]

Reporters Committee objects to exclusion of public from jury selection in Georgia

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press filed a friend-of-the-court brief to the U.S. Supreme court to review a decision in Georgia that allows a judge to bar the public from courtrooms during jury selection.  The decision runs counter to U.S. Supreme Court precedent. -DB Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press Press Release [...]

Scant information on Supreme Court Web site

The Supreme Court’s Web site does not offer much information including oral arguments and briefs, merit briefs and petitions. -DB NextGov August 7, 2009 By Aliya Sternstein The public had ample opportunity to parse the words of Justice Sonia Sotomayor on Senate Web sites before she was confirmed on Thursday, but when she begins hearing cases [...]

No gag order in Chauncey Bailey murder trial

 In the Chauncey Bailey murder, Superior Court Judge Morris Jacobson released 800 pages of grand jury testimony and refused defense pleas to impose a gag order on lawyers. -DB The Oakland Tribune  July 31, 2009  By Thomas Peele OAKLAND — A judge on Thursday afternoon refused to impose a gag order on lawyers and others involved [...]

New York: Journalists among those blocked from bringing electronic devices into federal court

A New York committee is expected to develop a policy placing severe restrictions on electronic devices in the federal court building, except, of course, those belonging to attorneys. -DB Citizen Media Law Project July 27, 2009 By Eric P. Robinson Attorneys in New York are hot and heavy (or should that be a-Twitter?) over rules being [...]

Federal judge closes civil trial over prison killing

Constitutional lawyers are saying that when a Los Angeles federal judge closed a two-day trial in the 2005 prison killing of a Jewish Defense League activist, he was likely to have violated the First Amendment. -DB Los Angeles Times July 24, 2009 By Carol J. Williams A Los Angeles federal judge took the highly unusual step [...]

Sotomayor indicates support for cameras in Supreme Court

In Senate confirmation hearings, Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor said she favored camera access in the high court but said should she be confirmed she would act with circumspection in making her views known to the Court. -DB First Amendment Center Analysis July 16, 2009 By Tony Mauro WASHINGTON, D.C. — If the Senate confirms Sonia [...]

CFAC files brief to lift gag in BART homicide case

The California First Amendment Coalition has asked a Superior Court judge in Oakland to rescind his gag order in the highly publicized prosecution of a former BART police officer who is charged with murder for the shooting death–captured on numerous cellphone videos uploaded to Youtube–of Oscar Grant III on New Year’s Day. The Coalition’s brief, [...]

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