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Should police name officers who use deadly force?

FAC July 19, 2011

The practice of withholding the names of police officers who use deadly force is coming under scrutiny from the American Civil Liberties Union, which says it might go to court to enforce the state’s public records act. On Monday a San Francisco officer shot and killed a 19-year-old man who allegedly fired at police in the city’s Bayview district. On July 3 a BART officer shot a 45-year-old man who allegedly threatened officers with a

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Government secrets: How many and for how long?

donal brown July 18, 2011

In a memorandum just made public this week, then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said in 2005 tht the government secrecy system was a failure, that the government was incapable of keeping a secret and policies need to be crafted to deal with that reality. One current government official said Rumsfeld’s initial premise was wrong. The government could keep secrets but that trying to keep too many secrets for a long time would bring failure. -db

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Whistleblower gets probation in espionage case

donal brown July 18, 2011

Charged with espionage for leaking classified information to a reporter concerning contracts let by the National Security Agency that he felt wasted taxpayers’ money, Thomas Drake agreed to a plea deal of one-year on probation and 240 hours of community service. The federal judge presiding over the case criticized the government for retreating on the eve of the trial and the two and a half year time period between the initial search of Drake’s house

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Support grows for free speech for pop lyrics

donal brown July 18, 2011

With popular songs becoming even more racier, it would be expected for the public to favor restricting the lyrics, but a poll by the First Amendment Center revealed that 67 percent of those polled said performers have the right to sing lyrics others might find offensive. This is in sharp contrast to the 55 percent supporting performers in 1994. Speculation about the reasons for the support include the ideas that with the music industry fragmented

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Oregon medical pot case raises First Amendment concerns

donal brown July 18, 2011

The 9th Circuit federal court of appeals heard  plaintiffs argue that the sheriff retaliated against them because they petitioned Douglas County to return the legal marijuana taken among a seizure of 117 lbs of marijuana. They claimed the sheriff persuaded federal authorities to become involved,  in violation of their First Amendment right to petition the government to return property. The plaintiffs said the sheriff harbored some animosity toward the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act which requires

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