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donal brown

California: Decision in favor of disclosure in kidnapping case adds starch to publics’ right to government records

donal brown March 9, 2010

A Superior Court  judge strengthened the Public Records Act by ruling that the press and the public had the right to access government records to answer questions about why parole officers did not check on registered sex offender Philip Garrido who had kidnapped a 12-year-old girl and held her captive for 18 years. -db Contra Costa Times Commentary March 8, 2010 By Thomas Peele More than five years ago California voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 59,

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Anonymous speech: Federal court protects identities of posters on news website

donal brown March 9, 2010

A Pennsylvania federal court will not allow a man suing in an employment discrimination case to discover the identities of those making posts on a new website. The man wanted the identities to discredit the testimony of those who fired him. -db Citizen Media Law Project Commentary March 8, 2010 By Sam Bayard Thomas O’Toole at TechLaw points us to an anonymous speech decision issued last week by a federal court in Pennsylvania. In McVicker

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First Amendment cases: Supreme Court to hear Kansas case of protesters at military funeral

donal brown March 9, 2010

The Supreme Court will hear the case of a Marine father who sued protesters who picketed his son’s funeral with signs reading “God Hates You” land “Thank God for Dead Soldiers.” The picketers were from a Baptist church that believes God hates homosexuality and is punishing the U.S. for tolerating it with the death of soliders in Iraq and Afghanistan. -db The New York Times March 8, 2010 By Adam Liptak WASHINGTON, D.C. — The

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Time has come for a federal anti-SLAPP law

donal brown March 8, 2010

A lawyer who earns considerable income from defending citizens from Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) says it is time to back a democratic congressman’s bill for a federal anti-SLAPP law to protect citizens’ free speech rights. -db Citizen Media Law Project Opinion March 4, 2010 By Marc J. Randazza Congressman Steve Cohen, D-TN is our First Amendment Bad Ass of the week. Mr. Cohen introduced The Citizen Participation Act, a federal anti-slapp bill. The bill

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Editorial calls for Placer County District Attorney to enforce state’s open government law

donal brown March 8, 2010

The Auburn Journal argued for tighter enforcement of the Brown Act, California’s open government law, in light of a $l600 dinner meeting in 2008  in Washington D.C. during which three county supervisors lobbied the local congressman. -db Auburn Journal Editorial March 7, 2010 During these tough economic times, government at every level faces media scrutiny. The public has a right to know how elected officials are spending taxpayer dollars. That’s why it’s especially troubling that

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