donal brown

Media project publishes guide to live-blogging in courts

The Citizen Media Law Project has published a guide to live coverage in courts using the social media. Since not all judges allow electronic devices and local laws sometimes prohibit the devices, it is important to know how to avoid legal problems in live-blogging or tweeting in the courtroom.-DB Citizen Media Law Project December 10, 2009 By David Ardia As part of our legal guide series on documenting public proceedings and events, today we published

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Supreme Court to decide if employees have privacy rights when using employer’s texting devices

At a time when most employees use computers, cell phones or texting devices in their work, the Supreme Court will rule on whether they have a right to privacy in sending messages. -DB Baltimore Sun December 14, 2009 By David G. Savage Chicago Tribune Washington Bureau WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Supreme Court said today it would rule for the first time on whether employees have a right to privacy when they send text messages on

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Court rules campaign for California’s Prop. 8 prohibiting same-sex marriage does not have to reveal memos

Citing First Amendment concerns, a federal appeals court ruled that backers of Proposition 8 banning same-sex marriage do not have to give up campaign strategy documents. Prop. 8 opponents had tried to gain access to internal memos and e-mails to show that the campaign exploited prejudice against gays and lesbians. –DB San Francisco Chronicle December 12, 2009 Chronicle Staff Report SAN FRANCISCO — A federal appeals court in San Francisco has reversed a judge’s order

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Obama administration unveils 20 open government initiatives for federal agencies

The Obama administration announced that each of 20 federal agencies would provide an initiative to open government records to the public helping to fulfill an inaugural address promise for greater transparency in the federal government. -DB Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press December 10, 2009 By Miranda Fleschert Each of the 20 cabinet departments has unveiled a new open government initiative in response to the directive issued Tuesday by the Obama administration, the White House

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Watchdog group seeks access to long sought White House visitor logs

Judicial Watch is suing the Secret Service for access to unreleased visitor legs requested under the Freedom of Information Act. The government cited national security concerns for some of the logs. -DB Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press December 10, 2009 By Miranda Fleschert Mere weeks after the White House began publishing select visitor logs online, the conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch has sued the U.S. Secret Service for access to still-unreleased visitor logs

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