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First Amendment advocate criticizes prosecutor’s subpoena of personal records in Innocence Project

donal brown November 16, 2009

Gene Policinski of the First Amendment Center says Chicago’s Cook County investigation of Medill ‘Innocence Project’ could chill students’ reporting, and time spent on the investigation would be better spent investigating the evidence presented by the students that a man was wrongly convicted of murder. -DB First Amendment Center Commentary November 15, 2009 By Gene Policinski A scene in the 1987 movie “The Untouchables” shows Sean Connery as a Chicago beat cop instructing federal agent Kevin

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Supreme Court refuses to hear Miami book banning case

donal brown November 16, 2009

In refusing to hear a Miami book  banning case, the Supreme Court left in place a ruling by a federal appeals court that the Miami school board could remove a book from the school libraries because it presented too rosy a picture of life in Cuba under the communists. -DB Miami Herald November 16, 2009 By Kathleen McGrory The U.S. Supreme Court will not hear a case challenging a Miami-Dade School Board decision to remove

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Secretary of Defense blocks release of torture photos

donal brown November 16, 2009

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates used powers granted to him under new legislation passed last month to exempt the photos of abuse of detainees from the Freedom of Information Act. The new law provides exemptions for records deemed harmful to national security. -DB American Civil Liberties Union Press Release November 14, 2009 WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a brief filed late Friday night, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates invoked his authority to block the release of photos

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Federal Court rejects Plame’s argument to allow her to publicize details of CIA service

donal brown November 16, 2009

Former CIA operative Valerie Plame claimed that after the government outed her as an agent and her employment record became part of the congressional record that the First Amendment allowed her to void her confidentiality agreement with the CIA and reveal details of her CIA service. A federal appeals court rejected her arguments citing national security concerns. -DB Wired November 13, 2009 By David Kravets Valerie Plame Wilson cannot publicize details of her work as

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Small town latest casualty in motion picture copyright enforcement lottery

donal brown November 16, 2009

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) performs a regular ritual in a futile attempt to enforce copyright, the latest target an anonymous user in a small town who downloaded a copyrighted movie, writes a Citizen Media Law Project blogger.  In response to a breach notice, the town of Coshocton, Ohio voluntarily shut down its free Muni WiFi in response to the pressure brought by MPAA. -DB Citizen Media Law Project Opinion November 16, 2009

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