On Thursday, May 10, 2018, First Amendment Coalition, New America and Slate’s Future Tense met in Washington DC to address the First Amendment challenges that arise when policymakers call for limits on speech and greater involvement by tech companies in policing online content. Are these steps the answer? Or should we be developing a long-term …
In an important win for government transparency, a Santa Clara Superior Court judge has ruled that the city of Milpitas must release documents relating to allegations of serious misconduct by former city manager Tom Williams. The city originally withheld the documents based in part on a “reverse California Public Record Act” lawsuit filed by Williams …
The First Amendment Coalition supports a bill to be heard next week in the California Senate Judiciary Committee that would help prevent abusive litigation by public agencies against members of the public who request records under the California Public Records Act (CPRA). SB 1244 would amend the CPRA in two important ways. First, it would …
Read moreFAC Supports CA Senate Bill 1244 to Protect Public Records Requesters
The First Amendment Coalition today announced that the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation has committed $375,000 over the next three years to support FAC’s work defending free speech and the public’s right to know. “FAC is grateful to the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation for this vital and substantial gift, which provides us with a solid foundation …
Read moreFAC Receives Three-Year, $375,000 Grant From Jonathan Logan Family Foundation
A court in Hayward, CA yesterday denied an unprecedented effort by a public school district to recover nearly half a million dollars in attorneys fees from a woman who had requested public records from the district. Alameda County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Brand ruled that the motion by the Newark Unified School District to recover …
The First Amendment Coalition strongly supports California Senate Bill 1421, which would bring long-overdue transparency to records relating to police misconduct. The bill would require disclosure of records relating to investigations of serious police misconduct, including officer-involved shootings and instances where police officers have lied under oath. Law enforcement officers are alone among public employees …
Read moreCA Senate Bill 1421 Would Bring Desperately Needed Transparency to Police Misconduct Files
The First Amendment Coalition (FAC), an award-winning, non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the First Amendment and the public’s right to know, is looking for a practicing lawyer or a recent law school graduate to serve for one year as a Legal Fellow, with the possibility of renewal for a second year. We are seeking …
Photo credit: UCLA The University of California Los Angeles has turned over video footage of a contentious event with U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in which he was interrupted by heckling student protesters. The university initially refused to publish the material after Mnuchin’s “revoked his consent” for it to be shared publicly, but the school …
The First Amendment Coalition and the American Civil Liberties Union on Monday submitted a friend-of-court brief arguing that an effort by the Newark Unified School District to recover nearly half a million dollars in attorneys’ fees from a woman who requested public records under the California Public Records Act is legally meritless, unprecedented, and would …
The First Amendment Coalition is pleased to announce the election of Duffy Carolan, an esteemed First Amendment lawyer and longtime board member, as president of FAC’s Board of Directors. Carolan, a former journalist who has spent her career defending the First Amendment, is one of the country’s foremost champions of free speech and access to …
Read moreFirst Amendment Attorney Duffy Carolan Elected President of FAC Board of Directors