Freedom of Speech/Press News

Court upholds paper’s right to publish minor’s name

A California appellate court has ruled that newspapers have a constitutional right to publish the names of children who suffer abuse, as long as the name is newsworthy. According to the Sacramento Bee, the decision in favor of the Redding Record Searchlight upheld a ruling in Shasta County Superior Court. Full story

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A judge’s ‘blow against government secrecy’

The “national security letters” issued by the FBI seeking private information about individuals’ bank accounts, communications and other activities are unconstitutional because they ban recipients from even acknowledging they exist. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston of San Francisco ruled that the FBI must cease issuing the gag orders, but put the decision on hold in anticipation of a government appeal, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, which characterized the order as a “blow against government

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Government’s dangerous crackdown on whistle-blowers

In a New York Times op-ed, two esteemed First Amendment advocates argue that the Private Bradley Manning case underscores a grave threat to the press and public — no matter what you think of Manning’s judgment when he released volumes of documents to WikiLeaks. While attorney Floyd Abrams argues that Manning acted carelessly, Harvard law professor Yochai Benkler asserts that Manning behaved much like Daniel Ellsberg, who famously released the Pentagon Papers — secret documents

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California appeals court upholds juvenile judge in barring juvenile from gang activities

A California minor lost a round in court in his attempts to challenge a juvenile court judge’s ruling that prohibited him from associating with gang members or possessing gang clothing, tattoos or insignia. The restrictions were imposed as a condition 0f probation and challenged by the juvenile as vague since he argued that “gang” and “activity” were inadequately defined. -db From the First Amendment Center, July 9, 2012, by David L. Hudson Jr. Full story

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