Peter Bibring

Interested if @jacklerner.bsky.social has any take on this, particularly in this context where it's not just economic damages but use for a political purpose you disagree with

Breaking! Federal court just granted our request for a Temporary Restraining Order prohibiting LAPD from using force against journalists who pose no threat and unconstitutionally limiting their access to covering protests in LA.

Order posted at link.
www.bibringlaw.com/news/federal...

Video: How Los Angeles Police Officers Broke Protocols and Injured Protesters A Times analysis of videos and interviews with police, protesters and legal experts found that officers misused 40-mm sponge rounds at immigration-raid protests.

I talked with the NY Times for this powerful and disturbing piece, which clearly walks through two egregious uses of excessive force against protesters and the horrific impact on the two protesters hit.

www.nytimes.com/video/world/...

I'm proud to represent LA Press Club in this case, too, along with NewsGuild-CWA and dedicated journalists who risk personal harm to keep the public informed and protestors making their voices heard on the terrorizing ICE raids.

@lapressclub.bsky.social
@newsguild.org

This is the second case I’ve worked on arising out of these protests, and it's been great to work with ACLU SoCal, Carol Sobel and Paul Hoffman, and a fantastic team at BraunHageyBorden.

@aclusocal.bsky.social

Officers also misused crowd control weapons, like repeatedly shooting tear gas canisters so that they hit protestors and journalists, as happened to @acatwithnews.bsky.social

(Not-so-fun fact: direct impact from canisters is the leading cause of death from tear gas.)

bsky.app/profile/acat...

DHS officers’ misuse of force has been astonishing. Federal officers repeatedly used rubber bullets, tear gas and pepperballs against journalists and protestors who posed no threat, including shooting pepperballs directly at journalists. From @shoton35mm.bsky.social.

bsky.app/profile/shot...

Very proud to be part of this suit against DHS over the federal officers' outrageous targeting of protestors and journalists with excessive force in LA over the past two weeks. And it's great to be back working with my former colleagues at ACLU SoCal.

So important! If we want courts to hold federal officials accountable for violating the law, Congress needs to fix this and ensure people whose rights are violated can sue for damages, or courts won't have the chance to decide what's constitutional and what's not.

I’m also hanging my own (metaphorical) shingle in LA to do work on policing, public records, 1st Amendment. I’m excited for this chapter, and today’s filing is a great start.

I’m joining Julia Yoo and Gene Iredale at their practice in San Diego. They’re brilliant lawyers, fierce fighters, and wonderful colleagues, and I’m thrilled at the chance to work with them.

iredalelaw.com

Oh, and some professional news: I left the LA County OIG in March to return to civil rights litigation. That work was fascinating, but I'm glad to be back.

Also very excited to work with the amazing
@adjoro.bsky.social whose tireless advocacy and work documenting attacks on & violations of journalists' rights drove the legislation on which it is based.

I’m thrilled to be back litigating and working on this with Carol Sobel, Paul Hoffman, @facoalition.bsky.social and @davidloy.bsky.social, @susanseager.bsky.social and Weston Rowland

Jury awards reporter $1.5M in May Day melee case A local television camerawoman who accused LAPD police officers of using unreasonable force and injuring her during a pro-immigration rally in MacArthur Park three years ago was awarded more than $1.7...

LAPD has a decades-long history of assaulting press who cover demonstrations (like their clearing of MacAurthur Park on May Day 2007), professing reform, then doing it again. It has to end.
laist.com/news/kpcc-ar...

The 1st A protects the press because they’re essential to democracy. But reporters can only cover abuses by police if they’re allowed into protests without being assaulted.

California law gives journalists a right to report when police close areas for protests. LAPD hasn’t gotten the memo. It also puts strict limits on police use of crowd control weapons against protestors and journalists alike. LAPD isn’t following that either.

Over the past week, the world has seen LAPD shoot, gas, and hit reporters. Today, we sued them on behalf of @lapressclub.bsky.social and @statuscoupnews.bsky.social to protect journalists’ 1st Amendment rights.
drive.google.com/file/d/19wAG...