Mara Verheyden-Hilliard: "Police often seem to use these [National Special Security Events], at least in past years, as an opportunity to requisition all manner of new weapons and gear ... It's a spending spree for them, and they can legitimize it by saying 'The demonstrators are coming to town.'" Read more

The prosecution of hundreds of protesters at the Trump inauguration is approaching next month with federal prosecutors levying felony conspiracy and riot charges carrying terms up to 70 years in prison. PCJF Executive Director Mara Verheyden-Hilliard spoke to the "Loud and Clear" radio program on Oct. 25, 2017, to discuss the case.

"UF needs to provide the same constitutional rights to freedom of assembly, speech and association to those who want to oppose Richard Spencer’s racist beliefs as it has to Richard Spencer in providing him a venue where he is free to exercise those rights."

The civil rights legal groups expressed concerns that the University of Florida’s Police Department (UPD) has issued restrictions “that threaten the free speech rights of those who seek to express opposition to Mr. Spencer’s racist views.

Partnership for Civil Justice Fund attorneys working with Paul Hughes of Mayer Brown LLP have filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review a federal appeals court ruling that threatens free speech in Washington, D.C., in a challenge to the constitutionality of the District of Columbia’s regulations governing public posting of political leaflets. The regulations have previously been used to target grassroots organizations posting political messages in the nation’s capital. Read more

PCJF's Mara Verheyden-Hilliard talks to RT America about the behavior of St. Louis police in response to demonstrators outraged by the acquittal of police officer Jason Stockley for the murder of Anthony Lamar Smith.

In an attack on civil liberties and privacy rights, a judge has ordered the "DisruptJ20.org" website to hand over to the Justice Department logs of visitors to the website as part of a sweeping criminal case against protesters. PCJF Executive Director Mara Verheyden-Hilliard spoke with Brian Becker on his "Loud and Clear" radio program on Aug. 26, 2017, to discuss the case.

"There’s an Effort Around the Country to Curtail People’s Fundamental 1st Amendment Rights" — Mara Verheyden-Hilliard (Audio and transcript of interview) Read more

If convicted, Wood faces between 70 and 80 years in federal prison. Critics have called the charges “arbitrary” and “unbelievably harsh” while the MPD has been accused of using excessive force in a bellicose attack of basic First Amendment rights. Read more

FAIR (Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting) reviews the media coverage of the mass arrests of protesters at the Jan. 20 Inauguration of Donald Trump.