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FAC's Citizens United Amicus Brief
FAC files amicus in US Sup Ct free speech / campaign contributions case The First Amendment Coalition has filed an amicus brief in Citizens United v. FEC, the US Supreme Court case involving First Amendment challenges to federal campaign finance laws regulating corporate political speech during elections. FAC’s brief was written by the law firm of Bostwick & Jassy in LA. Here’s a pdf of the brief. -
News: Ruling on Citizens United v. FEC
Citizens United vs. Federal Elections CommissionOn January 21, 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. In a 5-4 opinion written by Justice Kennedy, the Court broadly held that: (1) no distinction can be drawn between the First Amendment rights of individuals and corporations in the electoral context, and that
(2) “independent expenditures, including those made by corporations, do not give rise to corruption or the appearance of corruption.” Id. at 42. -
Attny Judy Alexander Joins FAC
Starting this month, FAC has retained veteran first amendment and access lawyer Judy Alexander as FAC’s Special Access Litigation Counsel. Judy will be representing FAC in access cases across the state as part of FAC’s expanded litigation initiative. Alexander, a former FAC Board member, has 25 years experience in first amendment and access matters, including litigation for news media and other clients to obtain access to public records, meetings, courtrooms and judicial records under the Cali -
Scheer on China vs. Google
http://www.firstamendmentcoalition.org/2010/03/if-china-unplugs-google-it-will-be-the-first-time-chinas-people-will-know-what-they-are-not-being-allowed-to-see/If China unplugs Google, it will be the first time China’s people will know what they are not being allowed to see. This should give the censors pause. March 23, 2010 by Peter Scheer
BY PETER SCHEER–Google’s high-stakes confr -
P. Scheer on Citizens United decision
Supreme Court’s much-maligned First Amendment decision will, in fact, expand freedom of speech. Prediction: The Citizens United holding dooms IRS curbs on political advocacy by “dot-org” news media and other nonprofits.Supreme Court’s much-maligned First Amendment decision will, in fact, expand freedom of speech. Prediction: The Citizens United holding dooms IRS curbs on political advocacy by “dot-org” news media and other nonprofits. -
Court says NO to request by FAC and others for State Bar records needed for research on affirmative action
A California Superior Court judge has ruled that the State Bar Association, which regulates the legal profession, is not required to release data requested by the First Amendment Coalition and researchers’ studying the effect of law school affirmative action policies. The Court’s ruling in the controversial litigation will be appealed. -
FAC, SacBee file suit for county pension data
First Amendment Coalition & SacBee file suit for names of Sacramento County retirees with highest pensions -
FAC + media act in Gizmodo iPhone Case
AP, Bloomberg, CNET, Wired.com, LA Times, CNPA join FAC motion in lost-iPhone caseFAC–The First Amendment Coalition and major news media have requested the California Court presiding over the Gizmodo/missing iPhone matter to unseal judicial records relating to the warrant issued for the search of an online journalist’s home and the seizure of his computer, hard drives and other digital files. The motion to unseal the warrant affidavit (which you can see here) was filed May 5 and requests a hearing immediately. The motion argues that the affidavit is a public record that must -
FAC v LA City Council on Brown Act
FAC files Brown Act suit alleging pattern & practice of “notice” violations by LA City CouncilFAC files Brown Act suit alleging pattern & practice of “notice” violations by LA City Council May 5, 2010
FAC–The First Amendment Coalition has filed suit against the Los Angeles City Council over the Council’s failure to tell the public, in advance, that it was about to consider and vote on layoffs of thousands of government workers. FAC’s suit, claiming a “pattern and -
FAC + team wins Gizmodo unsealing of search warrant affidavit in Gizmodo/iPhone matter
FAC, media coalition win unsealing of search warrant affidavit in Gizmodo/iPhone matterThe media coalition organized by the First Amendment Coalition (FAC) has been successful in securing disclosure of the search warrant affidavit used to search an online journalist’s home for evidence concerning the Gizmodo/Apple/missing iPhone investigation. Joining FAC in the unsealing motion were the Associated Press, Wired.com, Bloomberg News, CNET, the LA Times and the California Newspaper Publishers Association. -
Scheer on Apple’s vetting of iPhone apps
Commentary by Peter Scheer
In the beginning there was the internet. It was raw, ungovernable and vast in its multiplicity of voices. Then came the Apple iPhone (and more recently, the iPad), offering a curated internet experience, using “apps” vetted by Apple for conformity to company standards for content and quality. Millions of Apple i-device users [...] http://www.firstamendmentcoalition.org/category/news-opinion/comme -
P.Scheer on Taxpayers Pensions. By P. Scheer
Taxpayers going postal over public employee pensionsTaxpayers Going Postal Over Public Employee Pensions, Perks. Unions’ miscalculation: Opting for secrecy. June 10, 2010 by Peter Scheer -
FAC wins s release pension payments
In an important legal victory, the Superior Court in Sacramento has ruled that the pension system for county government workers must make public retirees’ names, and their pension benefits, for all retirees receiving $100,000 or more per year. The decision is the result of a lawsuit filed jointly by the First Amendment Coalition and the Sacramento Bee. Here is a PDF file of the court’s written opinion. From the Sacramento Bee: Judge orders benefit disclosure by Sacramento County pension syste -
LA Times Breaks Bell Salary Scandal
[Is a City Manager Worth $800,000?](: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/bell/)Is a city manager worth $800,000: I
An LA Times report on the huge salaries of top administrators and elected officials in th -
Scheer on journalistm and Wikilks
<a href='http://www.firstamendmentcoalition.org/category/news-opinion/commentary' >Wikileaks didn't just happen...< -
FAC wins case against CalPERS for records on disastrous real estate investment
FAC wins case against CalPERS for records on disastrous real estate investment September 16, 2010 The Superior Court in San Francisco ruled Tuesday in FAC’s favor against CalPERS regarding access to records on their PageMill real estate investment. According to the ruling (FAC v CalPERS Order), the Court agreed with FAC that Govt Code section 6254.26, the exemption for certain information related to “alternative investments,” does NOT apply to real estate investments. The Court also reject -
FAC posts CalPERS’ docs ordered released by Court
FAC posts online confidential CalPERS’ docs ordered released by Court
The First Amendment Coalition has posted on the internet more than 1,700 CalPERS documents relating to an East Palo Alto real estate investment in which CalPERS lost all of its $100 million investment. The records–which include the partnership agreement, offering memorandum and email exchanges ab -
FAC iPhone App debutes in App Store
Click to Find iOpenGov on the App StoreOpenGov, the first iPhone app that offers reporters, community watchdogs and citizen journalists a mobile guide to California public access laws, the Freedom of Information Act and the rights and liabilities of newsgathers. -
Scheer on Wikilks and Ellsberg’s legacy
Does Wikileaks deserve Dan Ellsberg's approval? The good Wikileaks, yes; the bad Wikileaks, no
November 16, 2010 by Peter Scheer -
Scheer on Wikilks and Shield Law
UNPLUG WIKILEAKS? ENACT A FEDERAL SHIELD LAW INSTEADUnplug Wikileaks ? Enact a Federal Shield Law Instead
November 16, 2010
BY PETER SCHEER—-The Obama administration has made no secret of its desire to unplug wikileaks, the whistleblower website infamous for data dumps of classified records. Of the few options available to the government, the best is one that probably hasn’t been considered in this context: enacting a federal Shield Law.
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News: Leak ties China to Google Censorship
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/04/MNQS1GLVV8.DTL#ixzz17Hmufl7c
The May 18, 2009, cable, titled "Google China Paying Price for Resisting Censorship," quoted a well-placed source as saying that Li Changchun, a member of China's top ruling body, the Politburo Standing Committee, and the country's senior propaganda official, was taken aback to discover that he could conduct Chinese-language searches on Google's main international website. When Li typed his name into the sea
