Legalectric

Here’s the Complaint filed by ACLU in federal court:

Why? Attacks on journalists are a pattern of behavior. From the Complaint, and evident in the media coverage of police attacks, arrests live on camera, what more proof is needed:

The past week has been marked by an extraordinary escalation of unlawful force deliberately targeting reporters…

The press is under assault in our City.
Over the past week, the Minneapolis Police and the Minnesota State Patrol have tear-gassed, pepper-sprayed, shot in the face with rubber bullets, arrested without cause, and threatened journalists at gunpoint, all after these journalists identified themselves and were otherwise clearly engaged in their reporting duties. These are not isolated incidents.

This pattern and practice of conduct by law enforcement tramples on the Constitution. It violates the sacrosanct right to freedom of speech and freedom of the press that form the linchpin of a free society. It constitutes a pattern of unreasonable force and unlawful seizures under the Fourth Amendment. And it deprives liberty without a modicum of due process protected by the Fourteenth Amendment.

Plaintiff brings this action and asks the Court to restrain Defendants from further violence and unconstitutional conduct.

May 15th at 9:30 a.m. Pacific Time

Save the date — it’s the Oral Arguments in Hawaii’s 9th Circuit:

May 15th at 9:30 a.m. Pacific Time

You can listen at the federal court site HERE, and CNN has been granted pool status to broadcast and distribute to other outlets.

Keep in mind that the Temporary Restraining Order was issued based on threshold that the Plaintiff’s would likely prevail on the merits, and conversely, that Trump would likely not prevail on the merits.  Here’s the Hawaii federal court order being appealed:

Judge Derrik Watson_Hawaii Federal District Court_06112723217_TRO

Read it before you watch the hearing — note the high threshold for a Restraining Order — and note the discussion of likelihood of winning on the merits.  This is important!

Also FYI, there was a request for a 9th Circuit en banc hearing which was not approved by the court.

Thus far in court, tRump’s been a loser — both of his Muslim ban Executive Orders, the Executive Order regarding fiduciary duty of financial planners, an Inspector General investigation of his pulling advertisements and outreach for Obamacare enrollment…  Let’s keep this trend going.

Here’s my earlier post about this case:

tRump seems to be trying to build the case for his treatment of the press.  Or to see how his spin is taking.  Does he really think we, or the press, are this stupid?

Take the time to fill out this questionnaire, using the essay option, to demonstrate that we’re not a bunch of sycophant toadies.  Here’s the link:

Mainstream Media Accountability Survey

Here are the questions, note the negative and double negative framing that is pretty tough to parse out.  Here’s a pdf to preview, with jpgs belo:

Mainstream Media Accountability Survey