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FAC News Press Release

Journalists Thomas Peele & Caroline Titus named 2016 FAC Award Winners

First Amendment Coalition is proud to announce the recipients of the organization's 2016 Free Speech & Open Government Award. Out of more than two dozen nominees, two contestants will be honored, one representing a mainstream news organization, and the other representing small-scale community journalism. What they share is their diligence in pursuit of access to public […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
November 29, 2016
Latest News

Advocacy Press Release

Groups Urge Mendocino County to Repeal Unlawful Public Records Fee Ordinance

[…] between $20 to $150 per hour of staff time spent locating or reviewing public records requested under the California Public Records Act, or CPRA. But California’s open- government laws do not allow agencies to demand payment to cover the cost of staff time to respond to requests. Such fees are a threat to an […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
April 27, 2023
Latest News

Google’s Antitrust Wrist Slap Is Right Result for Wrong Reason. Right Reason: Google Search Results are Protected Speech

[…] "search bias" allegations, reached the right destination, but it took the wrong route to get there. The search results produced by Google's search engine are exempt from government control, whether under antitrust or other laws, because they are protected, as free speech, by the proverbial "higher law" of the First Amendment. First Amendment considerations […]

January 7, 2013
Latest News

Cases Press Release

FAC Urges Reversal of Ruling Allowing Secret Government Meetings for Speculative ‘Public Safety’ Concerns

The First Amendment Coalition (FAC) today filed an amicus brief in a California Court of Appeal case that could have far-reaching consequences for the transparency of government meetings. In the brief, FAC urges the court to find that Metrolink, Southern California’s largest commuter rail system, violated the state’s open-meetings laws when it barred the […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
May 14, 2018
Latest News

FAC News Press Release

FAC teams up with New America Media and CA Black Media to assist ethnic journalists

[…] the Legal Hotline available on a priority basis for NAM and CBM members--hundreds of journalists around the country---to give them expert guidance and support in reporting on government. The Legal Hotline handles questions about freedom of speech, access to government records, attending court proceedings or meetings of government agencies, and many more matters involving […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
July 23, 2016
Latest News

Blog Cases

FAC sues Novato to compel release of secret emails

[…] under the CPRA because they are subject to the "deliberative process privilege," which protects certain records that reveal policymakers’ decision-making. However, not all records relevant to officials’ deliberations receive this protection. A government agency must also show that the public interest in keeping a specific record secret is greater than the public interest in disclosure of the record—a high standard. "The […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
July 13, 2016
Latest News

Cases Press Release

FAC Sues Bakersfield For Open Meetings, Records Violations

[…] asserting the city had not violated the law. The city also failed to produce the documents FAC requested. The FAC-Cal Aware lawsuit followed. "The public can’t hold their government accountable unless they know what their government is doing," Snyder said. "We’re going to make sure they do." +++ Attorney Kelly Aviles of Los Angeles is […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
December 22, 2017
Latest News

Press Release

FAC Prompts Disclosure of California Governor Jerry Brown’s Social Media ‘Block Lists’

[…] records are clearly subject to disclosure under the CPRA. Earlier this year, the California Supreme Court held that communications and records created, sent or received on non- governmental devices or accounts are subject to the CPRA. "We are glad that the Governor ultimately decided to release the records FAC sought, and that he has […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
September 27, 2017
Latest News

Cases Press Release

FAC and Local Community Group Sue San Jose Over Secret Negotiations With Google

[…] the city to disclose those records. "The public is entitled to know what elected leaders are doing and saying in negotiations with corporations doing business with the government—especially where those companies are as large and powerful as Google," said FAC Executive Director David Snyder. "NDAs do not and cannot override elected leaders’ obligations to […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
November 13, 2018
Latest News

Blog

Digital strip-search: Case of lost iPhone prototype shows the danger of using search warrant to seize journalists’ information

[…] most professionals, a loss of this magnitude would be crippling, essentially bringing one's work to a complete halt for the duration of a police examination in which government agents have access, not only to business records, but also to one's most private files (medical and financial records, communications with family members, etc.). But for […]
- Press Freedom
April 30, 2010