First Amendment Coalition

Nominations for FAC's Free Speech & Open Government Awards are open! We know there’s some excellent work that's advanced open government and free speech out there his year. Tell us about it! Deadline for submissions is Jan 30. Submit a nomination today! firstamendmentcoalition.org/2025-fac-awa...

Our democracy depends on people willing to speak up. Stand with FAC to keep our First Amendment protections alive.

Donate today: 🔗https://firstamendmentcoalition.org/?form=FACDecember2025

Daniel Maher wanted records and bodyworn camera video of his own arrest--in which officers broke two of his ribs--from Redding Police, but they refused until FAC intervened and got the records released. @shastascout.bsky.social reports on what the video shows ⬇️ shastascout.org/redding-poli...

Lawsuit Seeks Transparency in Riverside County Jail Death Investigations A new lawsuit aims to force Riverside County to release records tied to rising deaths inside county jails, as journalists and advocates push for greater public accountability.

What is Riverside County hiding? Investigative journalist Christopher Damien spoke to Fred Roggin on #therogginereport about his lawsuit against Riverside County for records about in-custody deaths at its jails: www.nbcpalmsprings.com/therogginrep...

At the First Amendment Coalition, we’re that advocate, fighting for the access journalists need to hold power accountable.

Support transparency. Support press freedom.

Donate today: 🔗https://firstamendmentcoalition.org/?form=FACDecember2025

Lawsuit says Riverside County sheriff illegally hid jail death reports Investigative reporter Chris Damien alleges the sheriff's department broke state law when it refused to turn over coroner's reports on jail deaths.

"When people die in the government's custody, their relatives and the public have the right to review the government's investigation of that death," says Christopher Damien to the Desert Sun. More about our lawsuit against Riverside County ⬇️ www.desertsun.com/story/news/c...

VICTORY! We settled our lawsuit against San Benito County for its attempt to unmask Benito Beet Beat, a satirist on Facebook. The county withdrew the subpoena and is prohibited from reissuing it or taking any other action seeking to identify the authors based on the cartoon.

FAC Represents Investigative Journalist and New York Times in Public Records Act Lawsuit Against Riverside County Latest News

FAC represents journalist Christopher Damien and the New York Times in a public records act lawsuit against Riverside County for withholding records and information about deaths that occurred in jail custody. firstamendmentcoalition.org/news/post/fa...

Join us in protecting the public’s right to know. Your support keeps government open and accountable.
Donate today: 🔗https://firstamendmentcoalition.org/?form=FACDecember2025

See @aclu-norcal.bsky.social and FAC's letter in response to the revisions, which passed last night: firstamendmentcoalition.org/wp-content/u...

The Modesto City Council revised its masks-at-protests ordinance, and it's worse. "Modesto’s journalists should not be forced to choose between protecting themselves from harm and risking arrest" says FAC's @ginnylaroe.bsky.social www.modbee.com/news/politic...

Oakland cops toss student journalist from news conference about John Beam’s death First Amendment advocates are now calling for an end to a policy requiring journalists to have police-issued credentials.

Requiring police-issued press credentials for @oaklandpoliceca press conferences is a threat to press freedom, not only for student journalists, but for any newsroom covering Oakland police activity. www.eastbaytimes.com/2025/11/28/o...

The First Amendment Coalition shines light on government secrecy—because transparency keeps democracy strong.

💡 Donate today to protect your right to know: firstamendmentcoalition.org?form=FACDece...

A First Amendment win! The court has ordered a temporary pause to the administrative subpoena to Meta seeking the identities of the Benito Beet Beat Facebook page authors. A new hearing is scheduled for 12/10 at 10AM. More about this case: firstamendmentcoalition.org/case/doe-v-c...

BREAKING: FAC has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to prevent San Benito County from violating the First Amendment rights of two anonymous journalists who run Benito Beet Beat, a satirical news outlet on Facebook. firstamendmentcoalition.org/case/doe-v-c...

Redding police release bodycam footage to newsroom after FAC advocacy Daniel Maher wanted to see the bodycam footage of his own arrest. Redding Police refused, until FAC intervened.

Daniel Maher asked Redding police for the bodyworn camera footage of his arrest, in which police used enough force to break his ribs. The city denied his request. FAC intervened. It shouldn't take intervention from a lawyer to get public records.
firstamendmentcoalition.org/news/post/re...

California Appellate Court Generally Rejects Pseudonymity for Defamation Plaintiffs (Including in #TheyLied Sexual Assault Allegation Cases) From today's opinion in Roe v. Smith, decided by Justice Anne Richardson, joined by Justices Elwood Lui and Victoria Chavez:…

A big win! Today an appeals court ruled that plaintiffs cannot automatically hide their identities when they bring a defamation suit. "[T]he right to access court proceedings necessarily includes the right to know the identity of the parties." reason.com/volokh/2025/...

Sunshine in the Valley Dozen of reporters, journalism students and newsroom managers participated in an all-day training led by FAC and the Coachella Valley Journalism Foundation.

FAC teamed up with Coachella Valley Journalism Foundation for a workshop for reporters on how to use transparency laws in their stories, including
✅ covering protests
✅ press rights
✅ our new Reporter's Field Guides
Read more & bring a FAC workshop to you!
firstamendmentcoalition.org/news/post/su...

California’s Child Farmworkers: Exhausted, Underpaid and Toiling in Toxic Fields State officials are failing to protect the health and safety of thousands of young field laborers, an investigation has found.

A must-read: journalist Robert Lopez reviewed thousands of state and county records--and even had to threaten legal action for some records--for this investigation into California's child farmworkers. capitalandmain.com/californias-...

Abhorrent.

Critics Say Mayor’s Secrecy Over Trump Call Undermines Public Trust Open-government experts question why Mayor Lurie is withholding records of a call with Trump that reportedly averted a surge of federal forces.

Details of the conversation between SF Mayor Daniel Lurie and Trump are still a secret, despite @sfpublicpress.bsky.social public records request. Moments like these demand transparency, says FAC's David Snyder. www.sfpublicpress.org/critics-say-...

Press advocates condemn Oakland Police Department’s press policy Oakland Police Department must end its restrictive press policy.

Oakland Police must end its restrictive press policy, writes FAC, @spj-norcal.bsky.social and @pmwglocal39521.bsky.social firstamendmentcoalition.org/2025/11/14/p...

How legal support helps journalists do their best work Knight expands legal aid for local newsrooms amid rising demand and cost barriers

A nice look from @knightfoundation.org at how legal support helps journalists do their best work, with shoutouts for @rcfp.org, @splc.org, @facoalition.bsky.social, and more.

LAPD refuses to release crime map records, says data could lead to 'public panic' First Amendment lawyer says LAPD denial goes against principles of public records law.

LAPD is withholding policing data because it might lead to "public panic." FAC's @davidloy.bsky.social tells @laist.com: “The problem with that argument is it would violate — it would destroy — the entire public records act.” laist.com/news/lapd-re...

California Rural Legal Assistance wants to give PPE to rural dairy workers and provide information about what to do if they get sick and how to protect themselves. But they can't focus their outreach on the bird flu hotspots without quarantine data. More: firstamendmentcoalition.org/news/post/st...

Reports of bird flu in farm animals raise concerns about the virus Cases of bird flu have been reported in farm animals across the country. While there are no human cases, some are concerned the shutdown and cuts to federal resources have us flying in the dark.

#BirdFlu cases are increasing again, and yet the CA Dept of Food & Agriculture is putting public health at risk by refusing to release critical data about which CA dairies are under #birdflu quarantine. www.npr.org/2025/11/05/n...

State agriculture dept. is hiding bird flu information, legal aid group alleges in lawsuit A legal aid group that represents farm workers is suing the state agriculture department claiming it is not sharing the locations of dairies that are experiencing H5N1 bird flu outbreaks, and that…

Earlier this week, with California Rural Legal Assistance, we sued the CA Dept of Food & Agriculture for refusing to release information about which CA dairies are under #birdflu quarantine. Withholding this information puts public health at risk. www.latimes.com/science/stor...

FAC Sues City of Vallejo for Police Shooting Records Vallejo Police are denying the Vallejo Sun video footage of the shooting of Alexander Schumann.

FAC is representing @vallejosun.bsky.social in a public records lawsuit against the City of Vallejo. The city refuses to hand over video about police officers shooting of man in mental distress; the video they did release improperly blurs officers' faces. firstamendmentcoalition.org/news/post/fa...

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