First Amendment News

Split likely in Supreme Court decision on disclosure of Trump records

In hearing two cases on access to President Donald Trump’s personal financial records, the U.S. Supreme Court seemed poised to limit access for Congress but to allow a New York prosecutor to examine tax records. The majority seemed to think it was excessive to demand years of Trump’s records along with those of family members. But a majority also expressed the opinion that the president was subject to the justice system including a grand jury

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Supreme Court ices Mueller grand jury records

The U.S. Supreme Court blocked the House of Representatives in their quest for grand jury records relating to the Mueller probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. The court gave the Justice Department a stay to the D.C. Circuit order for release, a stay that the House Judiciary Committee may challenge before May 18. (Courthouse News Service, May 8, 2020, by Jack Rodgers) The House Democrats wanted the records as part of their

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KQED sues highway patrol for misconduct records

A San Francisco Bay Area public broadcasting company is petitioning the California Highway Patrol for records of office misconduct and use-of -force denied after the state legislature enacted a police transparency law in 2019. With a coalition of news groups, KQED wants records relating to incidents involving injury to or sexual assault of the public. ( KQED, May 9, 2020, by Julie Small, Sukey Lewis and Alex Emslie with contributions from Dan Brekke) The petition

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Trump slams lid on CDC reopening guidelines

With governors, mayors, business owners and health officials anxious for reliable advice for how to reopen, the Trump administration has frozen a report by the Center for Disease Control. Their 17-page report provided detailed and step-by-step guidance for state and local officials as well as educators and religious leaders. (Rolling Stone, May 7, 2020, by Peter Wade) The Associated Press was able to obtain a copy of the guidelines and provided details in stories last

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