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Not just introduced, but passed it appears...
Not quite soon enough to prevent the Court scolding the City for filing a motion as an emergency ex parte motion that they could have filed weeks ago.
drive.google.com/file/d/1PeoV...
![[text of motion] Journalism is under attack in this nation - whether it be the revocation of access by President Trump to the
Pentagon Press Corps this week, or the rapid consolidation of media outlets by corporations - and our local
press is critical to keeping Angelenos informed. Any attempt at spending precious City resources on
overturning what Judge Hernan Vera of the Central District Court of California has deemed "unlawful force
against members of the media" is a waste of City resources and against the will of Angelenos at large.
One of Los Angeles' biggest threats to public safety is the ongoing terror and kidnapping campaign of our
neighbors by the Trump Administration, and the City must focus its resources on protecting our
communities, not the further degradation of First Amendment rights and the timely need for a free press.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ilzwj4ulsmbutdl4t7uggyjm/bafkreigzfrkjxdqqk2mjgp6pwqn7jcaie5ipqldik4gjhzc3x6ljwkscla@jpeg)
[text of motion] Journalism is under attack in this nation - whether it be the revocation of access by President Trump to the Pentagon Press Corps this week, or the rapid consolidation of media outlets by corporations - and our local press is critical to keeping Angelenos informed. Any attempt at spending precious City resources on overturning what Judge Hernan Vera of the Central District Court of California has deemed "unlawful force against members of the media" is a waste of City resources and against the will of Angelenos at large. One of Los Angeles' biggest threats to public safety is the ongoing terror and kidnapping campaign of our neighbors by the Trump Administration, and the City must focus its resources on protecting our communities, not the further degradation of First Amendment rights and the timely need for a free press.
LA City Council just introduced a 🔥🔥🔥 motion directing the City Attorney to withdraw its request for a stay of the injunction against LAPD's use of force against journalists, and to report on the case to Council in closed session:
drive.google.com/file/d/16OA7...
A lot of folks in LA are rightly concerned about the federal administration's attacks on speech and the press. I think that makes it an especially important time to make sure our local leaders respect the First Amendment, too.
I filed this case with @strugar.bsky.social last week on behalf of @shoton35mm.bsky.social, who LAPD kept threatening to arrest (and eventually did) for going into encampments to report on sweeps last fall.
www.latimes.com/california/s...
Order text reading: "At any protest to which LAPD deploys, the Department shall appoint at least one member of the Department at the rank of lieutenant or above, whose primary assignment shall be to ensure compliance with the terms of this Order and the Department’s legal obligations as to journalists. The Department shall provide Plaintiffs with the name, email, and a cell phone number for the assigned liaison officer to allow reporting and resolution of any possible violations of this Order."
The order is expanded from the TRO. It recognizes that LAPD has violated state laws meant to protect journalists, expands protections to explicitly include batons--- and expressly orders LAPD to assign a supervisor of Lt. or above to every protest whose primary duty is compliance with the order.
Order reading: "It is déjà vu all over again. Plaintiffs Los Angeles Press Club (“LA Press Club”) and Status Coup contend that, in the wake of this summer’s protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Police Department (“LAPD”) dispersed or targeted Plaintiffs’ members and other journalists in violation of state law and the First Amendment."
Court recognizes that this is problem has persisted at LAPD for decades, right from the jump:
UPDATE: Federal court just issued a preliminary injunction against LAPD prohibiting them from using force against journalists who don't pose a threat:
drive.google.com/file/d/1CizO...
The court just issued an order in case enjoining DHS from using force against peaceful protesters and from dispersing (or using force against) peaceful journalists and legal observers across seven counties in Southern California.
"The First Amendment demands better."
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...
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
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...
