In camera review

A federal court dismissed nearly all of the claims in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the FBI spying on Muslim Americans, ruling that the government could invoke the “state secrets” privilege to avoid almost all litigation.

The First Amendment-based reporter's privilege does not extend to a pair of academic researchers working on an oral history project for a Massachusetts university, the U.S. Court of Appeals in Boston (1st Cir.) ruled Friday.

A federal appeals court ruled yesterday that the government may withhold certain records relating to the Central Intelligence Agency’s use of enhanced interrogation techniques – including waterboarding – from public disclosure under the federal Freedom of Information Act.

A state trial court judge in Westchester County ruled this week that a Journal News reporter was entitled to certain records related to an ethics investigation of a former White Plains mayor. The ruling reaffirmed that the disclosure requirements of the state open records law preempt a confidentiality provision for ethics investigations records in a local ordinance.