Protecting the First Amendment
rights of publishers and broadcasters is at
the heart of Wilson Petty Kosmo & Turner
LLP’s First Amendment and media law
practice. In a society with a voracious
appetite for news and information that is
also increasingly critical of the media, it
is more important than ever to provide hard-hitting,
thorough and fair news reports that will stand
up to legal scrutiny. The news media
is increasingly under attack by those alleging
defamation, invasion of privacy, fraud and
the like. Judges and juries are often
indifferent to the rights of the media and
express their disapproval of “paparazzi
journalism” with adverse court rulings
and large damage awards. Wilson Petty
Kosmo & Turner attorneys, including a
former journalist, understand the news business,
and the legal tightrope the press often walks.
We provide legal advice from the news gathering
process through prepublication review and
post-publication litigation. We can
help you avoid risk before your stories are
published, obtain access to information and
defend stories when they become the subject
of post-publication claims or litigation.
- Prepublication review
on behalf of both print and broadcast media
with sensitivity to clients’
need for fast decisions so stories meet
publication or broadcast deadlines.
- Assist with requests
for information under the Freedom of Information
Act (FOIA) and California Public Records
Act, including appeals of government refusals
to provide information in response to such
requests.
- Obtained summary judgment
in invasion of privacy case against television station.
- Challenge court orders
restricting media access to evidence.
- Defended free speech
rights on a college campus, resulting in
a published appellate court decision in
favor of the students the school sought
to silence.
- Experienced in defense
of defamation and invasion of privacy litigation.
- Experienced in bringing
Special Motions to Strike SLAPP (Strategic
Lawsuit Against Public Participation) suits
-- lawsuits designed to chill the exercise
of constitutional free speech rights.
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