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Opinion: Indiscriminate web filters damage free inquiry

donal brown October 4, 2011

Web filtering in which key words can trigger a cutoff of sites hurts education by uncritically banning students from vital Internet sources, writes Ken Paulson in a commentary for the First Amendment Center. Paulson says that names of terrorist groups or words such as breasts or buttocks can trigger censorship and the First Amendment Center site has been blocked by some schools.  Paulson finds this lamentable, “There’s nothing sexy about the First Amendment Center’s website.

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U.S. Supreme Court: Woman wins right to sue over removal of hijab in holding cell

donal brown October 4, 2011

A woman from Orange County, California won a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court allowing her to sue prison authorities for forcing her to remove her hijab in public, contrary to religious law. Lower courts had ruled that the holding cell where the woman was held was a special zone not subject to laws allowing prisoners to wear religious garments. -db From Jezebel, October 3, 2011, by Margaret Hartmann. Full story

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A&A: Are words chosen for tombstone protected speech or can a Public Cemetery District censor them?

FAC October 4, 2011

Our local public cemetery district has adopted a policy (which I objected too) of requiring that monument makers first submit to the cemetery district manager the verbiage and artwork for any new benches, monuments, or headstones to gain approval before the cutting or sand blasting of the monument can begin. I ran into this rule headlong today when I tried to order a memorial bench and was told by the monument maker that the cemetery

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A&A: Sheriff’s office denies access to 2004 arrest documents saying too much time has elapsed

FAC October 3, 2011

Q: I recently requested information pertaining to a 2004 arrest of a man by the Sheriff.  I was told by their Discovery Officer that my request would be denied because the records are so old and I’m no longer entitled to the information under the Public Records Act. She cited 6254 f(1) and (2) which I understand entitles me to certain information (bail, arrest time, location etc.) She also mentioned a case entitled Kuzar which

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Radio reporter for conservative show sues for arrest during G-20 summit

donal brown October 3, 2011

A reporter for the conservative “The Alex Jones Show” filed a lawsuit in federal court in response to his arrest covering the 2009 G-20 summit in Pittsburgh. The reporter said he was arrested even though wearing his press credentials and carrying a professional video camera and detained for over 12 hours in cold weather wearing only a t-shirt and shorts. From the Courthouse News Service, September 30, 2011, by Erin Mcauley. Full story

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