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Digital Journalist's Legal Guide
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Everything online journalists need to protect their legal rights. This free resource culls from all Reporters Committee resources and includes exclusive content on digital media law issues.

Briefs & Comments

  • Testimony regarding Maryland anti-SLAPP bill
    February 15, 2012

    Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press Executive Director Lucy Dalglish testified before the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee of the Maryland General Assembly, in support of SB 221. which clarifies and modernizes Maryland's anti-SLAPP law. SB 221 offers several important improvements to the current law, including the removal of the requirement that defendants show that the plaintiff filed the lawsuit in “bad faith” – that is, with the intent to use it to stifle constitutionally protected expression – in order to have the lawsuit dismissed as a SLAPP.

  • McCutchen v. City of Fort Smith
    February 14, 2012

    Fort Smith, Ark. resident and attorney Joey McCutchen sued the city when its city administrator presented individual members of the city’s board of directors with a proposed amendment to local ordinances outside of a public meeting, and some of the board members expressed their initial approval or disapproval. A lower court ruled not only that such behavior did not violate the open meetings law, but also that the law – as well as its criminal misdemeanor penalty – was an unconstitutional infringement on the speech of public officials.

  • Comments to Massachusetts Joint Committee on the Judiciary re. Senate Bill 785
    February 7, 2012

    The Massachusetts Legislature is considering a bill that would impose criminal charges against members of the media and others who, in connection with any criminal proceeding, disclose documents that divulge information about a child involved in the proceeding, regardless of the source of such documents or information. The bill requires all documents that include such information to be filed under seal, without court order, with a redacted version made publicly available.

  • Testimony in support of Illinois bill on audio recording of police officers
    January 31, 2012

    The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press has submitted testimony to the Illinois General Assembly in support of an amendment to the state eavesdropping law, which would create an exemption from criminal prosecution for the “[r]ecording of a peace officer who is performing a public duty in a public place and speaking at a volume audible to the unassisted human ear.” House Bill 3944 is an important step in reforming an overly broad law that criminalizes a critically important aspect of the newsgathering process and infringes on cherished First Amendment freedoms, the Repor

  • Delaware Coalition for Open Government, Inc. v. The Delaware Court of Chancery et al.
    January 20, 2012

    The Delaware Coalition for Open Government brought a lawsuit in federal court against the Delaware Chancery Court, its judges and the state challenging as facially unconstitutional Chancery Court rules that allow blanket confidentiality in private arbitration proceedings and records, including court-supervised settlement agreements.

  • United States v. Alvarez
    January 20, 2012

    The U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco (9th Cir.) struck down the 2006 Stolen Valor Act, which criminalizes lying about the receipt of military honors, on First Amendment grounds. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear the case--which involves a California man who, despite never serving in the military, stated at a municipal water board meeting that he had served in the armed forces for almost three decades and received a Medal of Honor--and decide whether the statute is constitutional.

  • Louisiana Crisis Assistance Center v. Marzano-Lesnevich
    January 13, 2012

    The U.S. District Court in New Orleans (E.D. La.) held that the Louisiana anti-SLAPP statute could not be used to dispose of a claim for injunctive relief against an author prohibiting further dissemination of two articles she published, as well as the planned publication of her book.

  • Letter to U.S. Marshals Service
    January 4, 2012

    Reporters Committee, joined by 21 news media organizations and companies, writes to U.S. Marshals Service asking for an explanation of its latest statement on release of federal mug shots.

  • Amicus Brief in Neely v. Wilson
    December 15, 2011

    Urging the Supreme Court of Texas to uphold the state's third-party allegation rule protecting journalists who fairly and accurately report the positions of opposing parties in newsworthy events.

  • Letter to NYPD Deputy Commissioner for Public Affairs
    November 21, 2011

    Reporters Committee joins letter to NYPD DCPI expressing concern over treatment of the news media during police action at the Occupy Wall Street protests in Zuccotti Park.

  • Letter to U.S. Supreme Court on access to arguments in health care reform law cases
    November 18, 2011

    Request that the Court provide audio and video recordings of oral arguments in the three cases addressing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

  • Amicus brief in Federal Communications Commission v. Fox Television Stations and Federal Communications Commission v. ABC Inc.
    November 11, 2011

    Urging the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the lower court ruling that the FCC's indecency policy is unconstitutionally vague and its subjective enforcement restricts broadcasters' news reporting.

  • Amicus brief in Asgeirsson, et al. v. Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott and State of Texas
    October 27, 2011

    Urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (New Orleans) to hold that the criminal sanction provisions of the Texas Open Meetings Act are not an unconstitutional restraint on government officials' First Amendment rights.

  • Amicus brief in Project Vote/Voting for America v. Long
    October 21, 2011

    Urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit to hold that Virginia voting applications are subject to the public disclosure provisions of the National Voter Registration Act.

  • United States v. Brice
    September 21, 2011

    Urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to further consider a judge's decision to seal documents related to the government's involuntary detention of crime victims to ensure their appearances as trial witnesses.