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Victory for newspaper publisher Tim Crews and FAC in Appeals Court decision

FAC July 19, 2013

A state Court of Appeal has ruled that small-town California newspaper publisher Tim Crews does not have to pay legal fees to a school board he sued over his public records request. The unanimous decision (see Court of Appeal’s opinion below) represents a crucial victory for government transparency and a welcome success for the First Amendment Coalition, which was instrumental in organizing and underwriting Crews’ successful defense. “The appeals court’s decision makes clear that, in

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FAC files suit for logs showing who visited LA’s County Assessor in jail

firstamendment February 28, 2013

PS–The First Amendment Coalition (FAC) has filed a Public Records suit to find out who has visited LA county jail inmate John Noguez, the embattled LA County Assessor who faces twenty-four felony counts for bribery, perjury and related public corruption charges. Noguez was arrested in October, along with an aide and a political contributor, following a political corruption probe into allegations that the Assessor’s Office lowered property tax bills in exchange for campaign contributions. FAC’s

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LAPD’s use of “Stingray” cell-phone monitoring tool revealed by FAC public records request

firstamendment February 15, 2013

BY PETER SCHEER–The records published below–released to the First Amendment Coalition by the Los Angeles Police Department–confirm LAPD’s use, in criminal investigations, of a controversial technology for tracking cell phones. Devices using this technology, “International Mobile Subscriber Identity” locators, operate by mimicking a cellphone tower, causing cell phones that are within range to connect to the device. Their use raises privacy and free speech concerns because they obtain information, not only about a specific phone

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FAC lawsuit leads to model CPRA policy for dot-gov email

FAC December 23, 2012

Auburn and San Jose are the first cities in California to adopt policies acknowledging the public’s right of access to city officials’ emails about government business–regardless of the kind of email accounts used to send or receive those emails. Emails have long been covered by California’s Public Records Act (PRA), which treats paper records the same as digital records. But public officials wishing to avoid the PRA–often the same officials who most loudly proclaim their

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FAC & Reporters Committee file briefs in Apple v. Samsung secrecy appeal

Peter Scheer October 16, 2012

The First Amendment Coalition on Monday filed an amicus brief in an appeal of a secrecy ruling in the Apple v. Samsung patent infringement litigation. FAC is participating to defend the trial judge’s ruling directing the unsealing of certain confidential financial records filed under seal by both Apple and Samsung. Also filed Monday: a media amicus brief prepared by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and submitted on behalf of the New York

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