Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/12/21

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Who'd be a PJ in these Troubled Times
From: Bryan Caldwell <bcaldwell51@earthlink.net>
Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2001 17:16:44 -0800
References: <B8489EA3.17C3D%jbcollier@powersurfr.com>

At 07:41 PM 12/21/2001 -0500, B. D. Colen wrote:
>The only Constitutionally based "freedom of the press" in the U. S. is the 
>freedom to publish that which you find out - or photograph - without prior 
>restraint. While there are 'shield laws,' and 'sunshine laws' guaranteeing 
>that certain meetings, etc., are open to the public, there is NO 
>Constitutionally guaranteed right to find out things which people don't 
>want one to find out.


  This is not quite correct. Prior restraints are not per se 
unconstitutional - just very strictly scrutinized by the courts (I think 
we've been through this before). Although relatively rare, there have been 
prior restraints which have survived constitutional scrutiny. Also, there 
are some constitutionally guaranteed rights of access to information that 
trump the desire of the participants or holders of the information to keep 
it withheld (the right of the press to gain access to a criminal trial in 
most circumstances, for instance), but this is an area of constitutional 
law with many uncertainties.

Bryan 

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Replies: Reply from "W Larsen" <wlarsen@almondmedia.com> (Re: [Leica] Who'd be a PJ in these Troubled Times)
In reply to: Message from John Collier <jbcollier@powersurfr.com> (Re: [Leica] Who'd be a PJ in these Troubled Times)