On March 15, 2024, the United States Supreme Court issued its opinion in a case entitled Lindke v. Freed.1  In this case, the Court established a new standard to assess whether a social media account managed by a local, state, or federal government official subjects that public official to a potential First Amendment violation under…

On March 15, 2024, the United States Supreme Court, in Lindke v. Freed1 and O’Connor-Ratcliff v. Garnier2 established a new standard to assess whether a social medial account run by local, state, or federal government officials subjects that public official to a potential First Amendment violation under 42 U.S.C. Section 1983. The decisions clarify when…

On March 15, 2024, the United States Supreme Court, in Lindke v. Freed and O’Connor-Ratcliff v. Garnier established a new standard to assess whether a social medial account run by local, state, or federal government officials subjects that public official to a potential First Amendment violation under 42 U.S.C. Section 1983. The decisions clarify when…

On September 30, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Senate Bill 553, effective July 1, 2024, which updates requirements for obtaining protective orders on behalf of an employee and creates a new requirement for employers to develop a workplace violence plan and violence log—and requires them to train employees on workplace violence.  SB 553…

In ruling on a prisoner’s First Amendment free exercise claim in Long v. Sugai,1 the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held that the delivery of a fasting Muslim prison inmate’s evening meal four hours before he could break his fast during Ramadan substantially burdened his free exercise of his religion.  The Court remanded to permit…

In a case 1 in which petitioner made a request for information pursuant to the California Public Records Act (Government Code section 7920.000 et seq.; “CPRA”) related to a city’s use of drones, the Fourth District Court of Appeal concluded that a trial court erred in determining, as a matter of law, that all video…

Background The California Police Chiefs Association (“CPCA”), California State Sheriffs’ Association (“CSSA”), Peace Officers Research Association of California (“PORAC”), California Association of Highway Patrolmen (“CAHP”), Brian Marvel, and Jake Johnson recently filed an action against the California Attorney General and the Department of Justice seeking declaratory relief and injunctive relief preventing the DOJ from enforcing…

Attorneys Melissa Ballard and Krista Jee were poised to defend the City of West Covina at trial in an injunctive relief case under the Telecommunications Act of 1996 when the plaintiff mobile phone carrier abruptly offered to dismiss the case with prejudice the afternoon before trial was set to commence in the United States District…