FAC Fights Secret Hearings in Death Penalty Case
Motion by lawyers for Armando Cruz, charged in rape and murder of 13-year-old Bakersfield girl, seeks to block press and public from all pretrial hearings
FAC
September 28, 2020
OUR MISSION
FAC is an award winning nonprofit dedicated to advancing free speech, open government and public participation in civic affairs.
BECOME A MEMBER
We're proud to offer a free membership to those who want to join our fight to defend the First Amendment and protect the people's right to know.
Have a question about access to records, open meetings, or other First Amendment concerns? We have a dedicated group of lawyers ready to help.
LATEST NEWS
COVID-19 RESPONSE
Find new resources and updates about our open-government advocacy amid the coronavirus emergency.
The Bryan Carmody Story | In Depth
FAC stepped in after SFPD executed five search warrants on the San Francisco journalist.
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access to courts
Enforcing the public's First Amendment right to open courts amid the pandemic
Access to Courts
Enforcing the public's First Amendment right to open courts amid the pandemic
Craig Newmark Philanthropies Commits $100K to FAC
Gift fuels journalist training programs, open-government litigation and press freedom defense work The First Amendment Coalition today announced a $100,000 gift from Craig Newmark Philanthropies
FAC
September 9, 2020
FAC Condemns Sacramento Police Department’s Flawed Media Policy
A national coalition of media organizations today joins forces to condemn a new media policy from the Sacramento Police Department. The policy, produced by the
FAC
July 23, 2020
WHAT WE DO
FAC’s greatest asset is our 30 year legal record of holding governments accountable at the local, state, and federal levels, supporting journalists and citizens in how to enforce their First Amendment rights
FAC regularly holds public forums that bring lawyers, journalists and citizens together from coast to coast to advance the discussion on government transparency, free speech and citizen engagement.
Now more than ever we need people who fight to defend our rights. Every year FAC recognizes First Amendment champions who have made outstanding contributions to government transparency.
We engage in oversight of the legislative process, working with legislators and providing testimony in support of First Amendment-friendly bills, and against bills that would turn the clock back.
WHAT WE OFFER
The Legal Hotline gives users quick, free access to FAC’s lawyers for questions about access to public records, meetings and the courts and your rights under the First Amendment.
A&A is a searchable database of questions posed by users like you about their rights under open government laws and first amendment safeguards that have been answered by FAC’s attorneys.
FAC’s resources for using California (CPRA) and federal (FOIA) laws to obtain public records, including FAC’s CPRA Primer; the text of the CPRA, and a template for CPRA request letter.
Resources for California’s open-meetings law, including our Brown Act Primer on how the law works; the text of the Ralph M. Brown Act and a sample “Cure & Correct” demand letter.
FAC defends press freedom by ensuring journalists in need receive pro bono legal defense in the event they are subject to subpoena or other legal threat seeking their confidential sources or unpublished materials.