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Asked and Answered

Brown Act

How Can We Obtain Criminal Charges Against Our Community Service District for Violations of the Brown Act?

[…] a specific past action, Cal. Gov. Code § 54960.1 provides the mechanism for bringing such a challenge, which includes a demand to the Board that it " cure and correct" the violation before filing a lawsuit. If action was taken based on improper procedure, the way to remedy the violation would typically be to […]

January 20, 2021
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Sunshine Week: Transparency Critical During Public Health Emergency

A letter from Executive Director David Snyder Dear Friends of the First Amendment, During times of widespread uncertainty, the public needs a clear picture of what our government is doing. Indeed, transparency is much more important in such times, when the government takes on a far greater role in our day-to-day lives. As government […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
- Public Records
March 16, 2020
Posts

Press Rights

FAC Writes in Support of Reporter Disparaged By Elected Official Following Public Records Request

[…] Trust of Fresno State today called on a California public official to apologize for insulting a reporter and to take seriously his obligations under open-government laws. The letter to Tom Wheeler, a member of the Madera County Board of Supervisors, comes after Wheeler responded to a reporter's public records request with, "To hell with […]
- Press Freedom
- Public Records
January 22, 2021
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Secret Ballots

[…] violation violated of the Brown Act, a member of the public may seek to void the action taken. You must first seek to have the agency " cure and correct" the action taken at the improperly held meeting, and then bring a lawsuit if they do not. The requirements are very specific, they have […]

June 14, 2009
Posts

First Amendment

FAC Urges Orange School Board Member to Retract Statement Threatening Speech Rights

[…] liable for these slanderous comments, so you need to be very careful of that, so I’m warning you about that." FAC Legal Director David Loy sent a letter to Mr. Ortega explaining that his threats violated the First Amendment and California law. As Loy wrote, "critique of elected officials is democracy, not defamation." The […]
- Free Expression
January 31, 2023
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It starts again: A Washington, DC judge has ordered 5 journalists to name their confidential sources for stories about the anthrax letters of 2001
- Press Freedom
June 3, 2009
Latest News

Blog

An open letter to judges in the BALCO appeal
- Press Freedom
June 2, 2009
Posts

FAC Urges California Highway Patrol to Release Public Records Relating to 2016 California State Capitol Violence

The First Amendment Coalition today submitted a letter to the California Highway Patrol, urging CHP to release public records it has refused to disclose regarding the violent clashes at the California State Capitol on June 26, 2016. The letter also calls CHP to task for the apparent use of a public records request as […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
- Public Records
February 16, 2018
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Blog

Government Doesn’t Decide Who Is (and Isn’t) a Journalist

[…] immediately, FAC’s legal director, David Loy, responded. "It seemed like he dropped everything to advocate on my behalf." Loy didn’t buy the DA office’s reasoning. In a letter sent to Price the day after the press conference, Loy described how her office’s actions violated Raguso’s First Amendment rights. "The government doesn’t get to decide […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
July 3, 2024
Posts

FAC Urges California Courts to Ensure Public Access Amid COVID-19 Emergency

[…] courtrooms or via video must in some way be open to the public and press. See, Press-Enterprise Co. v. Superior Court, 478 U.S. 1 (1986). Gov. Newsom correctly designated the press as "essential" and therefore they are exempt from the state’s "shelter in place" order. Reporters, who serve as the eyes and ears of […]
March 25, 2020