Attempting to make a "blue wall of silence" official policy Chief bans all city police from speaking to media.
The Flint Journal reports
The American Civil Liberties Union is asking for a temporary injunction to force the city of Flint to immediately stop enforcing a ban on police officers speaking to the media.
The ACLU filed a lawsuit in federal court Wednesday asking a judge to strike down the ban instituted by interim Police Chief David Dicks. The motion for a temporary injunction was filed Thursday.
A hearing date is expected to occur next week, Gibbs said in an e-mail. "The ACLU has a right to file lawsuits and stand up for what they believe is right," Dicks said. "My decision is based on a legal update from the Supreme Court set in May 2008."
According to Dicks, the court ruled a police officer speaking about official duties or internal works of the department is not protected by free speech and can be disciplined.
Gibbs said the ban on Flint police officers is so broad it applies to an officer talking to the media about any departmental manner that affects the public.
"I can say that the courts have recognized some speech made by governmental employees that is not related to public concern and doesn't have protection of the First Amendment," Gibbs said. "But his ban goes beyond forbidding that kind of speech. His ban is so broad that it forbids people from speaking about manners of public concern that have been consistently found to be protected under the First Amendment."
The Flint Journal reports
The American Civil Liberties Union is asking for a temporary injunction to force the city of Flint to immediately stop enforcing a ban on police officers speaking to the media.
The ACLU filed a lawsuit in federal court Wednesday asking a judge to strike down the ban instituted by interim Police Chief David Dicks. The motion for a temporary injunction was filed Thursday.
A hearing date is expected to occur next week, Gibbs said in an e-mail. "The ACLU has a right to file lawsuits and stand up for what they believe is right," Dicks said. "My decision is based on a legal update from the Supreme Court set in May 2008."
According to Dicks, the court ruled a police officer speaking about official duties or internal works of the department is not protected by free speech and can be disciplined.
Gibbs said the ban on Flint police officers is so broad it applies to an officer talking to the media about any departmental manner that affects the public.
"I can say that the courts have recognized some speech made by governmental employees that is not related to public concern and doesn't have protection of the First Amendment," Gibbs said. "But his ban goes beyond forbidding that kind of speech. His ban is so broad that it forbids people from speaking about manners of public concern that have been consistently found to be protected under the First Amendment."
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