First Amendment News

Inventor of the vibrating toilet seat, Johnny I. Henry, is brining suit against Google and AOL for search results with sites that referred to him in racist terms. Legal experts don’t expect Henry’s suit to prevail since federal law exempts service providers from liability from content posted by third parties. -DB Information Week May 22, 2009 By Thomas Claburn Google this week was sued, along with AOL, by Johnny I. Henry, the inventor of a

As part of his open government initiative, President Barack Obama ordered top government officials to find out if the government is withholding too much information from the public. Obama sent memos to the National Security Adviser as well as to the Attorney General and Homeland Security Secretary. -DB Washington Post May 28, 2009 By Michael J. Sniffen WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) — Expanding his drive to open government, President Barack Obama is ordering two studies of

There are strong opinions as to whether details of divorces should be revealed to the public. Some argue that especially for public figures, the details can reveal to the voter important information about values and character. Others says that interest in divorce details is prurient and intimate revelations could needlessly damage reputations and hurt innocent people such as children. -DB Wall Street Journal May 28, 2009 By Dionne Searcey Disclosures during divorce proceedings often elicit

In defending his district against allegations made by the Kern County Grand Jury of open government violations, the school superintendent said that the school board published their agendas sufficiently and took public comment on the reassignment of a middle school principal. -DB Tehachapi News May 28, 2009 STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO GRAND JURY REPORT As you know, the Tehachapi Unified School District Board of Trustees made a decision to reassign a principal. The result of

Attorney and law professor David Hudson says that Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s decisions concerning the First Amendment does not reveal a set pattern indicating her direction in future rulings. -DB First Amendment Center Commentary May 28, 2009 By David L. Hudson Jr. Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s record doesn’t show a rigid, ideological outlook on First Amendment issues. Sotomayor — nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court by President Barrack Obama to replace the departing Justice David Souter —