First Amendment News

A Republican senator is proposing a bill to allow federal trial appellate courts to permit cameras in their courtrooms. -DB The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press By Ahnalese Rushmann March 23, 2009 Cameras would be allowed in federal courtrooms, so long as a judge approves, under a bill introduced in the U.S. Senate last week. Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) introduced the “Sunshine in the Courtroom” bill, S.657, which “would allow the chief judge

A U.S. district judge ruled that Las Vegas ordinances banning leafleting violated the First Amendment. The city wrote the law mainly to keep adult businesses from distributing the leaflets in the downtown business hub. –DB First Amendment Center March 23, 2009 LAS VEGAS — A federal judge has sided with free-speech advocates in a legal battle over laws that prohibited adult businesses and other groups from soliciting in a downtown Las Vegas tourist hub. In

In ruling against golfer John Daly in his libel suit against the Florida Times-Union, the judge said that a columnist’s defamatory descriptions of Daly were “protected opinion based on disclosed facts.” -DB The Florida Times-Union March 24, 2009 By Paul Pinkham A Jacksonville judge has thrown out pro golfer John Daly’s defamation lawsuit against the Times-Union and a former sports columnist, canceling an April trial and ending four years of litigation. Daly’s lawyer said he

Four animal rights protesters faced federal charges of harassing and threatening researchers at UC Berkeley and UC Santa Cruz. The protestoers claim they were only exercising their free speech rights in a demonstration at a professor’s home. -DB San Francisco Chronicle March 20, 2009 By Henry K. Lee Four animal-rights protesters pleaded not guilty Thursday in federal court to charges that they harassed and threatened researchers at UC Berkeley and UC Santa Cruz, saying they

A Santa Cruz county judge closed his court to everyone except the defendant, her attorney, and the prosecutor despite state and federal Supreme Court rulings that courtroom proceedings are public.-DB KSBW.com Editorial March 23, 2009 You might not have known it, but this past week has been “Sunshine Week.” That’s not a reference to the weather; Sunshine Week is a national initiative aimed at ensuring our government and all its branches do business openly and