First Amendment News

A former Butte County grand juror will stand trial in August on charges of disclosing grand jury secrets. She is accused of giving the media information on her investigation of an excessive force complaint against two police officers. –DB Contra Costa Times May 9, 2009 By Terry Vau Dell OROVILLE, Calif. — Barring an unexpected resolution of the case, a former Butte County grand juror will stand trial in August on charges that she illegally

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press said the Obama administration’s decision to reverse its position on releasing photos of prisoner abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan sets a bad precedent, weakening efforts of the free press to hold government accountable. –DB Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press Press Release May 13, 2009 The White House’s stunning reversal today of its decision last month to comply with a court order to release photos of

Under siege from attorney generals from several states, Craigslist promised to shut down its erotic service section. The officials had claimed that the site supported trade in prostitution. -DB San Francisco Chronicle May 14, 2009 By Verne Kopytoff Craigslist promised Wednesday to shutter its erotic services section, eliciting mixed reviews from government officials who had accused the online classifieds site of allowing prostitution ads to proliferate. The San Francisco company instead opened a new section

A local school board trustee resigned saying that decisions on administrative transfers made in closed sessions were not reported out as required by the Brown Act. -DB Marin Independent Journal May 13, 2009 By Rob Rogers The Marin County District Attorney’s Office is investigating claims that the Ross Valley School District Board of Trustees violated the state’s open meetings law in a series of closed-door discussions on administrative transfers within the district. “The district attorney

After enjoying substantial support from the younger voters in last November’s election, the Obama administration is pressing its advantage by opening a blog, White House 2.0 and participating in MySpace, Facebook and Twitter. -DB Suffolk Media Law May 2, 2009 By Denise Ouellet The White House revealed new social networking efforts today that include participation on MySpace, Facebook, Twitter as well as a new blog, White House 2.0. Followers on all of the sites are