The move comes ahead of Saturday's No Kings protests.

Cross-posted from https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/55777869

A judge has denied the Los Angeles Police Department’s emergency motion asking to lift an injunction that restricts the use of force against the press. That denial comes after the Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Friday to request the city attorney’s office withdraw the emergency motion.

LAPD filed the emergency motion in an attempt to lessen the use-of-force restrictions against journalists ahead of Saturday’s No Kings protests, where large crowds are expected.

The City Council motion, brought forward by councilmembers Eunisses Hernandez and Monica Rodgriguez, cited that it was in response to LAist’s reporting.

Adam Rose, press rights chair at the Los Angeles Press Club, in a written statement said, “My read is the motion was mainly denied on procedural grounds. The false emergency was of LAPD’s own making.”

  • Optional@lemmy.world
    7·
    1 day ago

    Hydee Feldstein Soto Has an interesting wkipedia page.

    Hydee Feldstein Soto (born 1958) is an American attorney and politician, who is the incumbent City Attorney of Los Angeles. She is a member of the Democratic Party.

    . . . In June 2024, Michelle McGinnis, a veteran prosecutor in the City Attorney’s office, filed a legal claim alleging that Feldstein Soto retaliated against her for reporting “legal and ethical violations.” McGinnis claimed that Feldstein Soto based some of the office’s decisions on prosecutions on “personal relationships” or “perceived political gain,” including telling employees she wanted to stop prosecuting corporate defendants and singling out an individual protestor for prosecution. McGinnis reported that after objecting to these decisions, she was “subjected to a series of adverse employment actions and ultimately placed on administrative leave, removed from the office, and prohibited from further contact with office colleagues and employees."[14] In July, another employee claimed that Feldstein Soto routinely read her employees’ emails without their knowledge, and two more former employees filed retaliation claims. In August, Feldstein Soto requested $500,000 from the City of Los Angeles to fund a legal response to the claims. However, the City Council only authorized $50,000.[15]

    . . . Under Feldstein Soto’s leadership, her office sued journalist Ben Camacho and the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition, a local advocacy organization, to return a flash drive containing photographs of LAPD officers. The City of Los Angeles had given Camacho the pictures in response to a public records request, and the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition subsequently published them on the website WatchTheWatchers.net as well as for download on the Internet Archive [35] A coalition of media organizations denounced the lawsuit as limiting the freedom of the press.[36] Constitutional scholar Erwin Chemerinsky commented that “the city is on very weak legal grounds”.[37] In June of 2024, The city of Los Angeles agreed to pay $300,000 in a tentative settlement to Knock LA journalist Ben Camacho and the group Stop LAPD Spying Coalition for their legal fees.