All Articles
Everything MLRC has published, in any publication, since 2017.
FOIA Case for Records Could Mean Mexican Journalist Finally Wins Asylum in U.S.
Adam A. Marshall and Chuck TobinA federal FOIA case could be the key to a successful resolution of a Mexican journalist’s and his son’s decades-long fight for permanent U.S. asylum after fleeing their home country.
Fifth Circuit Affirms Preliminary Injunction Against Texas Prosecution of Netflix
Miranda A. CassidyThe Fifth Circuit concluded that the rule which ordinarily requires federal courts to abstain from interfering in state criminal prosecutions did not apply, due to the evidence that Netflix’s prosecution was the product of “bad faith” on the part of Tyler County District Attorney Lucas Babin.
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Affirms That Texas Book Rating System Is Unconstitutional
Laura Lee PratherUnlike the oral argument which focused primarily on the unconstitutional definitions and the workings of the rating scheme, the ruling leaned into a surgical analysis of standing, ripeness, and sovereign immunity that dissected each of the State’s arguments as to government speech, the government operations doctrine, and warning labels in great detail.
Controversial Politician Kari Lake Loses Anti-SLAPP Motion, Showing Flaws in Arizona Statute
Gregg LeslieThe recent denial of a controversial Arizona anti-SLAPP motion by politician Kari Lake has demonstrated the flaws and unanswered questions hidden in the Arizona Anti-SLAPP law, which was amended in 2022 and has yet to be the subject of an appellate decision.
Questions and Predictions for ’24
George FreemanMLRC executive director has questions on what the new year will bring in law, politics, sport, entertainment, and whether his column might benefit from an AI assist.
Dismissal of Golfer’s Defamation Suit and Fee Award Tees Up 11th Circuit’s Consideration of Anti-SLAPP in Federal Court
Linda Riedemann NorbutThe availability of Florida anti-SLAPP protection in federal court is teed up for resolution by the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals following the award of sanctions to media defendants who prevailed on claims by professional golfer Patrick Reed.
PEN America, Penguin Random House First Amendment Lawsuit Over Book Removal Moves Forward
Ojasvinee SinghThe lawsuit challenges the removal and restriction of books from school libraries on First Amendment free speech and Fourteenth Amendment equal protection grounds.
2023: A Year in Prior Restraints
Seth SternFreedom of the Press Foundation’s U.S. Press Freedom Tracker documented 11 prior restraints against journalists in 2023 (plus an 12th issued in January 2024) — the highest number since it began tracking them in 2017.
Lawsuit Over Alleged CIA Spying on Assange Visitors May Proceed in Part
Matt KristoffersenFour Americans may now proceed with their lawsuit against the Central Intelligence Agency for allegedly copying data from their devices while visiting Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.
Virginia Media Win Access to Report on School Shooting
David B. Lacy and Harley J. McClellanThe Circuit Court held that the Virginia Freedom of Information Act required disclosure of a school board’s investigation report into a graduation shooting even though a law firm conducted the investigation and prepared the report.
Ohio Supreme Court Finds Amusement Park’s Private Police Force Is Subject to Public Records Law
Ryan W. GoellnerThe television stations’ requests first required analysis of a novel issue under Ohio law: whether a private police department created pursuant to a city ordinance and by agreement between the amusement park and the city was subject to Ohio’s Public Records Act.
It’s “OK” To Call a Police Officer Racist
John C. Greiner and Darren FordThe court had little trouble concluding that the allegedly offending statements were opinion protected under Ohio law.
New Jersey Appellate Division Affirms Dismissal of Defamation Claims Against Prominent Local Blogger
Joe Slaughter and Seth BerlinThe decision capped a long and winding case that ended up providing speech-friendly precedents on a number of valuable topics.
New York Times Awarded Nearly $400,000 in Trump Suit
Maya GandhiThe decision arose from a lawsuit alleging that The Times had engaged in tortious interference by persuading Mr. Trump’s niece, Mary, to provide family financial documents to the reporters despite a confidentiality agreement that Mary and other family members had entered into as part of a settlement of an estate dispute.
Another Unconstitutional Defamation Bill Proposed in Florida
Jim LakeProposed 2024 legislation would penalize use of anonymous sources and codify the ability of defamation plaintiffs to sue anywhere in the state for speech posted online.
Federal Court Dismisses Copyright Lawsuit Against Friends, Sex and the City, Other Shows
Elizabeth A. McNamara and Meenakshi KrishnanThe Court found that no lay observer could find any substantial similarities between the protectible material of Lee’s work and the four shows.
Why MLRC Filed an Amicus Brief at the Supreme Court
Jeff HermesThe NetChoice cases could be as fundamental to the future of online discourse as Times v. Sullivan has been to journalism.
“Unsubstantiated” Complaints About Police Are Not Categorically Exempt from FOIL Disclosure
Alia SmithNew York’s Second Department held that police disciplinary records, formerly shielded from public disclosure under the now-repealed Civil Rights Law Section 50-a, are not categorically exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Law’s privacy exemption.
Defamation Action Against The National Enquirer Dismissed on Summary Judgment
Robert S. GutierrezAfter more than three years of litigation with three successive law firms, talent manager Michael Sanchez’s defamation action against the National Enquirer was dismissed on summary judgment in August by Judge Dolly Gee. Yet it was not until October that the storied lawsuit was officially over.
Florida Court Throws Out Heart Surgeon’s Defamation Suit Against CNN
Matt Kristoffersen“It is disingenuous and anomalous on the part of Dr. Black and St. Mary’s to say on the one hand that CNN should be held liable for failing to report risk adjusted data, and on the other hand to deny CNN access to that very same data,” Senior Judge Richard Oftedal wrote in the decision.
