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News

What Does the Election of Donald Trump Mean for GTMO?

On November 7, 2016—when polls were still predicting a Clinton victory in the next day’s election—MFIA filed its reply brief in Husain v. Gates, the habeas corpus action brought by Guantanamo detainee and CIA torture victim Abu Zubaydah.

The Fourth Estate As The Final Check

Beyond the three traditional branches of government, there is another that has often been described as a fourth branch: the free press.

Pennsylvania’s HB 1538, Designed to Shield Police Officers’ Identities from the Public, Threatens Transparency

In September 2015, Pennsylvania State Rep. Martina White introduced a bill designed to shield the names of Pennsylvania police officers that have been involved in shootings from the public.

News Organizations Seek Outcomes of NYPD Disciplinary Proceedings

As the public becomes increasingly concerned with police accountability, news organizations play a crucial role in providing information about recent police misconduct-related incidents, from the use of excessive force to stop-and-frisk practices.

New York’s Section 50-a Shields Law Enforcement Records

In 2011, Rikers Island guard Aubrey Victor was videotaped repeatedly kicking and stomping on the head of a 16-year-old inmate as he lay on the floor. An internal investigation found that Victor had used excessive and potentially deadly force. This finding would normally have never become public because of Section 50-a, a provision of the New York State civil rights law that shields the personnel records of law enforcement officers from public disclosure.

The Constitution Leaves No Room for Secret Law

There are still many questions to be answered about Yahoo’s secret scanning of all of its customers’ incoming emails under a mysterious government order.