First Amendment Coalition

DEDICATED TO ADVANCING FREE SPEECH, GOVT. ACCOUNTABILITY & PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN CIVIC AFFAIRS

STRATEGIC LITIGATION, EDUCATION AND ADVOCACYFAC USES INTEGRATED ADVOCACY LITIGATION, EDUCATION AND POLICY ADVOCACY TO STRATEGICALLY ADVANCE OPEN GOVERNMENT, FREE-PRESS RIGHTS, AND THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT TO KNOW. SOME EXAMPLES OF IMPORTANT VICTORIES FAC ACHIEVED IN 2021: -FAC FORCED THE DISCLOSURE OF THOUSANDS OF PAGES OF FORMERLY SECRET RECORDS OF POLICE-MISCONDUCT INVESTIGATIONS PART OF FAC'S LARGER CAMPAIGN TO ENFORCE AND STRENGTHEN CALIFORNIA'S SB 1421, A LANDMARK BILL THAT BROUGHT LONG-NEEDED TRANSPARENCY TO SUCH RECORDS. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O.)-FAC'S FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS LITIGATION AGAINST A STATE COURT SYSTEM IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ENFORCED THE FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT TO WITNESS COURT PROCEEDINGS. THE LAWSUIT, BROUGHT JOINTLY WITH THE ACLU, SETTLED ON FAVORABLE TERMS FOR THE PUBLIC'S (AND PRESS') RIGHT OF ACCESS. IT WAS PART OF A BROADER, STATE-WIDE CAMPAIGN BY FAC AND ITS PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS TO ENSURE THAT THE PUBLIC AND PRESS WERE NOT SHUT OUT OF COURT PROCEEDINGS, DESPITE RESTRICTIONS ON PHYSICAL ACCESS TO COURTS AS A RESULT OF THE COVID PANDEMIC. -FAC'S LAWSUIT UNDER THE CALIFORNIA PUBLIC RECORDS ACT AGAINST VENTURA COUNTY RESULTED IN THE RELEASE OF RECORDS RELATING TO COVID DEATHS IN THAT COUNTY. -FAC'S WORK ON AMICUS BRIEFS THROUGHOUT 2021, AT BOTH THE TRIAL COURT AND APPELLATE LEVEL, HELPED ADVANCE ARGUMENTS IN FAVOR OF FREE EXPRESSION, PRESS FREEDOMS AND OPEN GOVERNMENT.SOME EXAMPLES OF ACHIEVEMENTS IN EDUCATING AND EMPOWERING THE PUBLIC TO USE THEIR RIGHTS:-FAC HOSTED NUMEROUS FREEDOM OF INFORMATION BOOT CAMPS TO PROVIDE JOURNALISTS WITH THE TOOLS TO IMPROVE THEIR REPORTING, WHETHER DAILY OR IN-DEPTH INVESTIGATIVE WORK, BY USING FREEDOM-OF-INFORMATION LAWS MORE EFFECTIVELY.-FAC HOSTED AND/OR ORGANIZED MULTIPLE DISCUSSIONS AND WORKSHOPS ON PRESSING FIRST AMENDMENT AND ACCESS ISSUES INCLUDING:A Q&A ON THE FIRST AMENDMENT IMPLICATIONS OF THE JANUARY 6, 2021 CAPITOL RIOTS WITH NOTED SCHOLAR ERWIN CHEMERINSKY; "UNDERSTANDING POLICE RECORDS," JOINTLY PRODUCED WITH SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC RADIO STATION KQED; "OPEN COURTS & RACIAL JUSTICE," JOINTLY PRODUCED WITH FIRST AMENDMENT WATCH, ON ACCESS TO COURTS AND RACIAL JUSTICE ON THE EVE OF THE TRIAL OF THE MINNEAPOLIS POLICE OFFICER WHO KILLED GEORGE FLOYD.-FAC LAUNCHED ITS FIRST ORIGINAL MULTIMEDIA PROJECT, "PROTEST AND PUSHBACK," A COLLABORATION BETWEEN FAC AND CODE BLACK MEDIA THAT AIMED TO DEEPEN THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT'S ROLE IN THE MOVEMENT FOR BLACK LIVES AND TO DOCUMENT NEW THREATS TO FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS.-PARTNERING WITH FIRST AMENDMENT WATCH, FAC PRODUCED A TEACHER GUIDE ON COURT ACCESS TO DEEPEN THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC ACCESS TO COURTS.

SUBPOENA DEFENSE INITIATIVEFAC'S SUBPOENA DEFENSE INITIATIVE HELPS JOURNALISTS OPPOSE SUBPOENAS SEEKING THEIR CONFIDENTIAL SOURCES AND NOTES PROTECTED UNDER CALIFORNIA'S JOURNALIST SHIELD LAW. FAC ARRANGES FOR COUNSEL FOR JOURNALISTS OTHERWISE UNABLE TO PAY FOR LAWYERS. THE INITIATIVE ALSO INCLUDES TRAINING SEMINARS FOR LAWYERS, TEACHING THEM THE DETAILS OF JOURNALIST SUBPOENA DEFENSE. IN 2021, FAC HOSTED TWO ATTORNEY TRAINING SESSIONS AND CO-HOSTED ONE JOURNALIST TRAINING SESSION.

LEGAL HOTLINE SERVICE IN 2021, FAC STAFF AND OUR PARTNERS AT BRYAN CAVE LEIGHTON PAISNER RESPONDED TO MORE THAN 800 QUESTIONS ABOUT ACCESSING PUBLIC RECORDS, PARTICIPATING IN GOVERNMENT MEETINGS, AND FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS.

LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT FAC WORKS WITH ALLIES TO ADVOCATE FOR BILLS IN THE CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE THAT WOULD EXPAND THE RIGHT OF PUBLIC ACCESS OR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS, AND TO OPPOSE BILLS THAT WOULD LIMIT THESE RIGHTS.