NY Court Taps U.S. Doctrine in FOIL Suit Against NYPD
A state judge has invoked a federal court doctrine to reject a request under New York's Freedom of Information Law for information about police surveillance of a New York City mosque. Finding no guidance from higher courts in New York, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Alexander Hunter Jr. ruled that New York City Police Department may invoke the "Glomar doctrine" exception under the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to deny an Islamic group's request under the state Freedom of Information Law (FOIL). read more ...
Feds’ proposal to charge, limit access to wilderness areas draws fire
A U.S. Forest Service proposal to require permits and fees for commercial photographers and filmmakers who use wilderness areas has drawn opposition from those who could be affected ...
Colorado Springs again refuses to disclose results of Sky Sox stadium survey
The idea of moving the Sky Sox baseball stadium downtown as part of the City for Champions projects is a distant memory. But a piece of information used to make the decision to drop the Sky Sox from the City for Champions lineup is still a secret ...
FBI gags state and local police on capabilities of cellphone spy gear
The FBI requires state and local police to keep quiet about the capabilities of a controversial type of surveillance gear that allows law enforcement to eavesdrop on cellphone calls and track individual people based on the signals emitted by their mo ...
Journalism matters: You can’t have a free society without freedom of the press
People have asked me why Iíve been campaigning for eight months for the freedom of Peter Greste and the first answer is the obvious one: he's a friend, and not only that, a friend whose work and character I greatly respect. But thinking a little more deeply, Iíve realised that Peter's case also touched a deep chord in me. In 1994, I was the ABC's Europe correspondent. read more ...
Institutional Rules and Freedom of Choice: Who is the true architect of freedom?
The Legal Studies Institute (LSI) at the College of Staten Island (CSI) presents 'Choosing Not to Choose: Autonomy, Paternalism, and Public Policy,' its inaugural annual lecture that covers Law, Philosophy, and Public Policy on Monday, September 29th at the College of Staten Island Center for the Arts, 2800 Victory Boulevard, Staten Island. read more ...
Getting school transparency using Colorado law
One of the many questions parents have as part of the controversial school curriculum debate in the Jefferson County School District concerns their legal rights to information from the school board. If you are in the Jefferson County or have questions about your district there is help finding out your rights to know what is going on in your school district. The Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition is holding a free informational seminar on Monday, September 29 starting at 7 p.m. about the public's right to know information and its access to open meetings. read more ...
Going behind the scenes at Data.gov
Data.gov wants to be the fuel that helps power the organizations and people that will change the world. Data by itself is just the tinder for the spark of imagination and innovation. Without it many of the kinds of innovations we see like iTriage, ...
GOP Redistricting Docs Go Before The Florida Supreme Court
A legal challenge over whether documents related to the Florida Legislature's 2012 effort to redraw the state's congressional districts can be made public is now before the state's Supreme Court justices. The first hearing on the matter began Friday. read more ...
IRS Still Secretive About Plans to Monitor Church Sermons
It's more of the same. The Internal Revenue Service continues to be secretive about its intentions to investigate churches and pastors - nearly two months after it settled a lawsuit with an atheist group. Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) submitted a Freedom of Information request to the IRS, asking for documents related to a legal settlement with the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), in which the IRS apparently adopted new protocols and procedures for the investigation of churches. read more ...
