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First Amendment ruling goes against Oakland Tribune photographer

firstamendment June 3, 2009

When an Oakland Tribune photographer stopped to take photos of a car crash that happened in front of him, Oakland police not only denied him access but also handcuffed him. A federal judge saw no validity in the photographer’s claim that his First Amendment rights were violated. -DB Oakland Tribune June 3, 2009 By Angela Woodall A federal district court judge dismissed a lawsuit against the city Tuesday that claimed police officers infringed on an

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Las Vegas Sun series on construction deaths wins CFAC Sunlight award

firstamendment June 2, 2009

By Donal Brown The California First Amendment Coalition today announced that the 2009 Sunlight Award has been given to reporter Alexandra Berzon and the Las Vegas Sun for an investigative series of 50 articles on the high rate of accidental deaths among construction workers at a huge casino construction site on the Las Vegas strip. The Sunlight Award, given jointly by CFAC and the Associated Press, recognizes journalistic excellence in news coverage that uses government

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Newspaper finance crisis: Nonprofit model no panacea but may be part of the answer

firstamendment June 2, 2009

By Donal Brown Like the economy generally, the newspaper industry’s financial crisis deepens daily with reports of bankruptcies, layoffs and closings. The prospect that this downward spiral could leave the country, or large parts of it, without a vigorous press to uncover news of vital interest has fueled interest in alternative business models–notably including the model of nonprofit organizations. At a time when private investment capital is unavailable, the restructuring of newspapers and other media

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To take the sleaze out of judicial elections, ethics rules should bar lawyers who contribute money to judges from practicing before those judges

firstamendment June 2, 2009

By Peter Scheer In America, a judge ordinarily may not take a “gift” of money from a person or company appearing before him in a legal case. Such a brazen assault on judicial independence is plainly unethical and potentially criminal. Suppose, however, we alter the facts slightly so that the money is offered as a contribution to the judge’s reelection campaign. A nonlawyer would say, wisely, that that is a distinction without a difference: a

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Prop 8 Supreme Court hearing is best evidence yet for allowing cameras into the courtroom

Peter Scheer June 2, 2009

By Peter Scheer The California Supreme Court’s hearing yesterday in the Prop 8 case–broadcast live over the internet via streaming video–erased any doubt about the wisdom of allowing cameras into the nation’s courts. Let’s hope US Supreme Court Justices David Souter, Stephen Breyer, Anthony Kennedy, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas were watching the oral arguments on Prop 8’s constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. They are the camera-allergic justices who have publicly stated their opposition to

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