firstamendment

Program featuring illegal immigrants Q: Our station has created a series vignettes. These are interviews (in Spanish) with people in all walks of life who have made a success of themselves. The vignettes are sponsored by advertisers. We want to produce two with people/families who are illegal immigrants but have survive/made it in the America. It represents a significant number of our viewers and an important topic in our community. We plan to backlight the

Comments on blog journals Q: I have been served with a restraining order for comments that I posted to a Web site. The plantiff’s justification is that I have engaged in a course of action against her. Nowhere in the posts is her name mentioned specifically, I make no specific plans to do her physical harm, but make it very clear that I do not like her. I never directly contact her nor do I

Murals on private property Q: I would like to find court decisions where city ordinances or actions prohibiting murals on private property have been thrown out because they violate the First Amendment or California’s Constitution. It is my understanding that murals are protected as speech and cities cannot regulate them by permit on private property. I believe there have been several cases regarding this, some filed by the ACLU. A: You are probably thinking of

Cameras in prison Q: We’re trying to get a photographer into a state prison to take a picture of a kid who is serving eight years for kicking another man in the head in a fight. The inmate had a clean record previously. The prison has told us no cameras and I’m wondering if we have any recourse. A: Unfortunately, for almost 10 years the California Department of Corrections has imposed strict limitations on media

On-line Web journals Q: I have been served with a restraining order in my county for comments that I posted to a Web site. The plantiff’s justification is that I have engaged in a course of action against her. Nowhere in the posts is her name mentioned specifically, I make no plans to do her physical harm, but make it very clear that I do not like her. I never directly contact her. Wouldn’t I