Jake Wunsch
More than a decade after the landmark trial that found California’s Proposition 8 unconstitutional, the proposition’s proponents have now asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review a recent Ninth Circuit decision that would finally allow the public to access video recordings of the trial.
The Fight for the Public’s Right to Access Videos of the Landmark Prop 8 Trial Again Moves to the U.S. Supreme Court
More than a decade after the landmark trial that found California’s Proposition 8 unconstitutional, the proposition’s proponents have now asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review a recent Ninth Circuit decision that would finally allow the public to access video recordings of the trial.
Colorado Court Grants News Anchor’s Anti-SLAPP Motion
In only the second case to date to apply Colorado’s anti-SLAPP Act (passed into law in 2019) to a news outlet, a trial court judge tossed a defamation case against Kyle Clark, the nightly news anchor at KUSA-TV/9News, the TEGNA-owned NBC affiliate in Denver.
From the Executive Director’s Desk: The Show Must Go On
MLRC director reflects on the challenges of hosting live gatherings in the midst of a worldwide pandemic.
Ninth Circuit’s Dark Horse Opinion Clarifies What Music Is Not Protected by Copyright
After almost seven years of litigation, the Ninth Circuit vindicated Katy Perry and other co-defendants by affirming that no reasonable jury could have concluded that Perry’s hit song “Dark Horse” infringed Flame’s song “Joyful Noise” based on the similarities of two 8-note “repeating musical figures” that occur throughout both songs.
Minnesota Federal Court Enters Six-Year Permanent Injunction to Stop Abuse of Journalists and Protestors
The court approved a six-year monitored injunction which prohibits the Minnesota State Patrol from arresting, using projectiles or chemical munitions against, or otherwise targeting journalists, as part of a settlement agreement reached between the plaintiffs and two State of Minnesota law enforcement agencies.
Kansas Supreme Court Censures Judge for Online Sex Pics
Writing that “Judges should be role models for society,” the Kanas Supreme Court censured recently retired magistrate judge Marty Clark for posting, while still on the bench, nude pictures of himself on an adult sex site.
New York Appellate Court Affirms Anti-SLAPP Legal Fees to Newspaper
The decision serves to tee up a divide between Appellate Divisions on the issue of retroactivity because the First Department went the other way in Gottwald v Sebert (the “Dr. Luke v Ke$ha” case), holding that the anti-SLAPP amendments should not have retroactive application.
Second Circuit Affirms Dismissal of The Most Bizarre Lawsuit Involving The Most Gullible Man in Cambridge
The convoluted lawsuit of Harvard Law School Professor Bruce Hay against New York Magazine and its reporter over their 2019 article about his tabloid-ready relationship and legal wrangling with Maria-Pia Shuman and her transgender wife came to a fitting conclusion in March as the Second Circuit affirmed Judge Oetken’s decision denying Hay leave to file…
Texas Federal Courts Analyze Personal Jurisdiction in Online Defamation Cases
Texas federal courts have sent a clear message to those considering filing a defamation suit over online statements – personal jurisdiction only exists if the statements concern the forum or the defendant is located in the state.
Maine Newspaper Cleared in Defamation Case Involving Alleged Sexual Abuse of Minors by Police
A York County Superior Court jury has found in favor of a Maine newspaper and two reporters accused of defamation for reporting on sexual abuse allegations dating back to the 1970s – and spanning decades – against a now retired police captain.