On November 24, the FSU Seminoles lost to the Florida Gators 42-14, giving the football team a 5-7 record and making them ineligible for a bowl game for the first time in over 30 years. Following that loss, a man named Tom Shand posted an image in a Facebook group of...
Media Law
CNN’s Jim Acosta Banned from – Then Restored to – the White House Briefing Room
According to the White House, CNN’s Jim Acosta was banned from the briefing room for “unacceptable” conduct, including “yanking back” when a staffer tried to grab the microphone. The White House Correspondents Association didn’t see it that way. They issued a...
Tolerating Incivility Is the Price We Pay for Freedom, Says Judge
After the 2018 Stoneman Douglas shooting, long-time Florida NRA lobbyist Marion Hammer received emails that would horrify and disgust most people. Graphic images of gunshot wounds inflicted by the shooter. Language described as “vile,” “harassing,” and “threatening.”...
Florida First Amendment Sunshine Seminar in Jacksonville
On November 29, 2018, I had the pleasure of helping to present during a recent Florida First Amendment Sunshine Seminar in Jacksonville. Members of the news media and representatives from local governments attended the event to learn more about complying with laws on...
Florida Supreme Court Decides Not to Weigh in on Release of Parkland Shooting Surveillance
When a tragedy like the Parkland shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School occurs, there tend to be two schools of thought where the release of information is concerned. On the one hand, Florida’s Public Records Act protects the rights of citizens and news...
Appeals Court Says Fort Lauderdale Food Sharing Protected Under the First Amendment
Like many cities, Fort Lauderdale’s homeless population has grown in recent years, resulting in a two very different reactions. One is an attempt to reach out to the homeless community and offer help, as exemplified by the weekly meals at Stranahan Park offered by a...
FIU Bridge Collapse: Do Public Records Stop Being Public Records When There’s an Investigation?
The FIU bridge collapse this past March was a terrible tragedy. Investigators are still trying to piece together what happened to prevent another such occurrence in the future. As a part of this, FDOT has been working with the National Transportation Safety Board...
The Repeal of Net Neutrality: Will It Impact Free Speech on the Internet?
At the end of 2017, the Federal Communications Commission voted to end net neutrality. Many were outraged. Some celebrated. But I imagine most people simply didn’t know what it all really meant or how the change would impact their Internet experience. Let’s start by...