Federal Judge Says Iowa Can’t Enforce Its Newest Ag-Gag Law
The newest law is the state’s second attempt to stop journalists and activists from going undercover to report on meat processing plants, livestock facilities, and puppy mills. An older version of the bill was struck down as unconstitutional in January.
According to the plaintiff’s complaint, Daniel Robbins was filming outside a police department in May 2018, having noticed that a police vehicle had been parked in a “no parking” spot. Citing suspicious behavior, the officers detained Robbins, seized his cell phone, recording equipment, and memory cards.
A Small Newspaper in Iowa Wins a Libel Suit, but Legal Costs May Force It to Close
On July 17, 2017, the Carroll Times Herald was sued for libel after it published the first of a series of investigative pieces about a local cop who was having inappropriate relationships with teenage girls. The day after the Times Herald published its first article about the police officer, he filed a libel suit contending that his reputation had been destroyed, along with his employability as a law enforcement officer.
Devin Nunes Files Defamation Complaint against Reporter Ryan Lizza
The lawsuit argues that Lizza's widely read article, "Devin Nunes’s Family Farm is Hiding a Politically Explosive Secret," is a "legion of lies" and that Lizza published it with the specific intent to harm the congressman’s reputation.
Iowa Man Sues County Sheriff’s Department for Free Speech Violations
The ACLU is suing an Iowa county’s sheriff’s department on behalf of a man who says his First Amendment rights were violated when he was charged with criminal harassment after he posted negative comments about a police officer’s conduct.
Iowa Judge Who Told Des Moines Register to Stop Story Publication Reverses His Own Order
Iowa Supreme Court Justice David Wiggins reversed his prior restraint order, allowing the Des Moines Register to publish its piece about lawyer Jaysen McCleary. The Des Moines Register quotes McCleary […]