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Coalition News

FAC Welcomes Legal Fellow Sherene Tagharobi

FAC July 17, 2020

The First Amendment Coalition is pleased to welcome Sherene Tagharobi, an attorney and Emmy-nominated former journalist, as its new legal fellow focusing on press freedom and government transparency.  Tagharobi joins FAC from the law firm Nixon Peabody, where she represented individuals and businesses in complex litigation and government investigation matters. She also represented pro bono clients in connection with freedom of information, conservation, immigration, and sex trafficking laws. “Sherene joins FAC at a crucial juncture,

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Kern County Superior Court Rescinds Public Access Ban

FAC July 15, 2020

The Kern County Superior Court has rescinded a problematic order used for months to block people from entering its courthouses, an important step in restoring the public’s First Amendment right of access to hearings and trials in one of California’s largest metropolitan areas.  Court officials in Bakersfield issued a new court order explicitly stating that members of the public will be admitted to proceedings in limited numbers, consistent with public health guidelines, following a federal

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Journalism Leaders Ricardo Sandoval-Palos and Edward Wasserman Join FAC Board

FAC July 9, 2020

The First Amendment Coalition today announced the election of veteran journalists Ricardo Sandoval-Palos, public editor of PBS, and Edward Wasserman, professor and immediate past dean of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, to its board of directors.  Sandoval-Palos serves as the independent internal critic within PBS, reviewing commentary and criticism from viewers and ensuring internal standards are met. He joined the public broadcasting organization following a long career as an investigative reporter and editor,

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Statement on Judge’s Ruling in Public Access Case Against Kern County Superior Court

FAC July 2, 2020

On Monday, June 29, the FAC and the American Civil Liberties Foundations of Southern and Northern California asked a federal judge to order officials in Kern County to immediately enforce the public’s First Amendment right of access to hearings and trials. The request for a temporary restraining order came as part of a federal civil rights lawsuit the groups filed after documenting more than a dozen instances of members of the public being denied access

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FAC, ACLU Sue for Public Access to Kern County Superior Court

FAC June 26, 2020

BAKERSFIELD — A cornerstone of our democracy is that court hearings and trials are not held in secret. But that’s what happening in Kern County Superior Court where proceedings — including jury trials — are being held out of public view.  In-person access was originally cut off because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but courts across the nation, including many in California, have provided video or audio feeds of court proceedings. In most cases in Kern

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