By Amanda Palmeira Following recent excessive force cases across the country, many states are quickly legislating the use of body-worn cameras for police officers. The National Conference of State Legislatures reported that 34 states, as of May 18, 2015, were considering legislation to address this law enforcement issue. Within New England, states have responded to the technology to different degrees, and in some cases, not […]

By Zachary Carlton The New Jersey Supreme Court recently ruled that police dashboard camera footage should be released under the state’s public records law in most circumstances, a decision that states grappling with similar access issues ought to consider. The laws on releasing police video — most often taken with dashboard or body cameras — in […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefac.org As police departments around the country increasingly use body cameras, many questions arise about access to these video records under freedom of information laws and how journalists can use the videos ethically. On April 8, the New England First Amendment Coalition will conduct a panel discussion of […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefac.org The New England First Amendment Coalition testified today in support of a Rhode Island bill that would strengthen the state’s public records law by making long-overdue common sense improvements. “The Access to Public Records Act has not been significantly reformed in more than a decade,” […]

Court Hearings to Be Open as Feds Seek Charges Against Clients in Mass. Brothel Bust Case NBC Boston 12.21.23 Greg Sullivan, the president of the New England’s First Amendment Coalition, said the rule was originally put in place to protect those who are falsely accused. He is also calling for more transparency. “I would love […]

To Mass. Trial Court Re: Electronic Access to Criminal Case Information (Dec. 21, 2023) We want to bring to the court’s attention what we believe is a violation of its rules on accessing electronic records and ask that this violation be immediately remedied. According to the Uniform Rules on Public Access to Court Records Rule […]

Please note that NEFAC submitted similar testimony for House Bill No. 5454 which proposes the same changes as the Senate legislation described below. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefac.org The New England First Amendment Coalition testified today in support of a Rhode Island bill that would strengthen the state’s “often failing public records […]

Moore v. United States of America (U.S. 2022) The technology at issue in this case poses an untenable threat to confidential association, and with it the freedom to gather news. Too many lower courts have acquiesced in a framework that would give the government discretion to surveil citizens in the most constitutionally sensitive of locations […]

Maura Healey Takes Right Step in Pledging Transparency as Governor | MassLive 12.29.22 Government transparency has been an objective of the Massachusetts Newspaper Publishers Association, the New England Newspaper & Press Association and the New England First Amendment Coalition. It isn’t just members of these organizations who will benefit, though, but the public at large. […]

With Omicron Spreading, Should Public Meetings Be Held Remotely Again in Rhode Island? | WJAR 12.27.21 “Democracy suffers when public bodies can meet without either the oversight or input that public attendance and participation can provide. We obviously cannot speak for the public bodies themselves, but we do know that many residents of the state […]