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San Francisco: Ethics Commission sleeps while government agencies defy sunshine ordinance

donal brown September 22, 2011

The Ethics Commission, charged with hearing complaints filed by citizens about sunshine violations in San Francisco, has failed to act on all but a few complaints, allowing city agencies to destroy documents and defy requests for explanations, writes Claire Mullen in an investigative report for the San Francisco Bay Guardian. Mullen provides a detailed rundown of the inaction by the Ethics Commission and the consequences for the public. -db From the San Francisco Bay Guardian,

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Report: U.S. corporations joining with tyrants to curb Internet freedom

donal brown September 22, 2011

Current laws and codes of conduct aren’t enough to prevent United States companies from helping repressive regimes censor the Internet and control information that have abetted human right abuses, according to a report from a Canadian security firm. The Global Online Freedom Act, a law under consideration, would prohibit U.S. companies from helping governments restrict the Internet. -db From the National Journal, September 20, 2011, by Josh Smith. Full story

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2nd Circuit: Federal court allows challenge to warrantless surveillance

donal brown September 22, 2011

The U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled for a second time that a suit could proceed that challenged a Congressional law allowing the National Security Agency to electronically spy on citizens without a probable-cause warrant. The case may finally come to trial unless the Obama administration uses the state secrets privilege to kill the lawsuit. Federal judges have not often ruled against the government in those instances. -db From Wired, September 21, 2011, by

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Georgia mayor censors ‘Rocky Horror Show’

donal brown September 22, 2011

The mayor of Carrollton, Georgia banned the Rocky Horror Show from the city’s theater center. The local theater group who wanted to stage the musical has decided not to challenge the ban. The Rocky Horror Show centers on a cross-dressing scientist and his Transylvania friends but has not been considered obscene, the only legal grounds for censorship. -db From a commentary for the First Amendment Center, September 21, 2011, by Ken Paulson. Full story

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California: Orange County D.A. drops open meeting charges against school district

donal brown September 22, 2011

After a preliminary finding in May that the Capistrano Unified School District violated the Brown Act, California’s open meeting law, the Orange County District Attorney’s office announced this week that they could not corroborate the finding. But the office found a lot to fault, using colorful language to criticize the way the district conducted meetings. -db From The Orange County Register, September 20, 2011, by Scott Martindale. Full story

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