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First Amendment News

Press freedom under fire in Latin America

donal brown September 1, 2009

In recent months journalists have suffered setbacks in Ecuador, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Colombia, Bolivia, Brazil and Argentina as courts and leaders move to restrict coverage and demonize the press. -DB The New York Times August 31, 2009 By Alexei Barrionuevo RIO DE JANEIRO — For the family of José Sarney, Brazil’s Senate president, the daily onslaught of newspaper reports about nepotism and corruption accusations against him was too much to bear. So Mr. Sarney’s son Fernando, who

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Federal court rules against student wearing message T-shirt

donal brown August 31, 2009

A federal appeals court ruled that a Texas school district dress code did not deprive students of the First Amendment rights of expression. A student sued after the school banned his shirt supporting John Edwards for president. -DB First Amendment Law Prof Blog August 24, 2009 By Kathleen Bergin The First Amendment doesn’t prohibit a dress code that prohibits The ‘First Amendment’. So said a three judge panel of the Fifth Circuit this month in Palmer v.

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Public denied details of bids for failed banks

donal brown August 31, 2009

Banking insiders are wondering why the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is no longer disclosing information on bids for failed banks. The information is needed to formulate future bids and should be available under the Freedom of Information Act. -DB American Banker August 24, 2009 By Marissa Fajt For decades, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. disclosed all bids on failed banks to the public. That was then. This is now: no disclosure on losing bids, no explanation

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Federal judge dismantles Connecticut campaign finance law

donal brown August 31, 2009

A federal judge ruled Connecticut’s public finance law unconstitutional, saying that it put an unfair burden on minor party candidates in obtaining public financing for their campaigns. -DB Fresno Bee August 28, 2009 By John Christoffersen NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) – A federal judge has ruled that Connecticut’s public campaign finance law, seen by some as a possible national model, is unconstitutional because it discriminates against minor party political candidates. Judge Stefan Underhill ruled late Thursday

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Don’t ban anonymity urges one legal expert

donal brown August 28, 2009

While siding with Google against the blogger who defamed the model by calling her a “skank”, a First Amendment advocate argues that it is important to protect anonymity of some contemptible speakers to safeguard the freedom of others such as whistleblowers and dissenters in totalitarian regimes to remain anonymous. -DB Citizen Media Law Project Commentary August 26, 2009 By Dan Gillmor Here we go again—a new attack on anonymous speech, misusing the facts ripped from the

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