First Amendment

Donnis Baggett to receive FOI Foundation’s James Madison Award at Sept. 12 conference

FOIFT2014-09-02T19:09:41-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sept. 2, 2014 AUSTIN - Donnis Baggett, whose career has spanned more than 40 years in Texas journalism, is the recipient of the 2014 James Madison Award presented by the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas. The award goes to those who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to upholding the principles of the First Amendment. It will be presented Sept. 12 during the John Henry Faulk Awards Luncheon at the foundation’s Bernard and Audre Rapoport State Conference in Austin. Baggett, the executive vice president of the Texas Press Association, leads the association’s governmental affairs program, focusing on protecting open [...]

Donnis Baggett to receive FOI Foundation’s James Madison Award at Sept. 12 conferenceFOIFT2014-09-02T19:09:41-05:00

McAllen noise ordinance prompts First Amendment lawsuit

FOIFT2014-09-02T14:29:52-05:00

By Karen Antonacci The Monitor Originally published Sept. 1, 2014 McALLEN — Hector Guzman Lopez pointed to the megaphone slung on his shoulder Monday morning while he explained his freshly-filed lawsuit alleging the city is infringing on his First Amendment rights. But, if he used the megaphone, he could be issued a citation and fined as much as $500, he said. Lopez, through his lawyers Efrén Olivares and Carlos M. Garcia, filed a lawsuit against the city Monday saying the city ordinance prohibiting megaphones and yelling is unconstitutional. While parts of the ordinance Lopez took issue with have been on the [...]

McAllen noise ordinance prompts First Amendment lawsuitFOIFT2014-09-02T14:29:52-05:00

Alpine residents decry limiting speech at city meetings

FOIFT2014-08-11T15:07:35-05:00

By Alberto Tomas Halpern Big Bend Sentinel Originally published Aug. 7, 2014 ALPINE – Alpine residents exercising their First Amendment rights of free speech at Tuesday’s regular city meeting were unanimous in their dissent of a proposed ordinance that would have, among other things, strictly limited public comments at city meetings. The draft ordinance, as currently written, and whose first reading was approved by council on July 15, would have limited public comments at meetings to eight individuals; limited speech to two minutes, down from three; would have required residents wishing to speak to sign up the day of the meeting [...]

Alpine residents decry limiting speech at city meetingsFOIFT2014-08-11T15:07:35-05:00

Attorney held in contempt after challenging judge’s limit on public access to court

FOIFT2014-07-03T15:53:34-05:00

By Adriana M. Chavez El Paso Times Originally published July 2, 2014 A prominent El Paso lawyer was found in contempt of court and sentenced to 30 days in jail last year after challenging a Jury Duty Court judge's efforts to limit public access to the courtroom. Stuart Schwartz, a shareholder at the ScottHulse law firm who also is a former county commissioner, served a night in jail before being freed on a personal recognizance bond. The contempt charge from Jury Duty Court Judge Jerry Woodard was later dismissed. In citing Schwartz for contempt, Woodard acknowledged he had erred on constitutional [...]

Attorney held in contempt after challenging judge’s limit on public access to courtFOIFT2014-07-03T15:53:34-05:00

Schools hire monitors to patrol students’ off-campus online speech

FOIFT2014-05-06T15:14:27-05:00

By Samantha Vicent Student Press Law Center Originally published in SPLC Report, Winter 2014 Issue At the start of the 2013 school year, students at Hoover High School in California’s Glendale Unified School District were surprised to discover their school district had been paying GeoListening, a social media monitoring company, to keep tabs on their online activity for more than a year without their knowledge. GeoListening isn’t the only company being paid to keep track of students’ online activity, however. Increasingly, schools and districts are turning to third parties for help monitoring students’ public social media posts. Monitoring, administrators say, can [...]

Schools hire monitors to patrol students’ off-campus online speechFOIFT2014-05-06T15:14:27-05:00

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