This past Friday, March 22, Duke Law's First Amendment Clinic and local attorneys filed a brief appealing the conviction of two Asheville Blade journalists for doing their jobs and covering a crackdown on a protest and homeless camp.
The brief asserts, rightly that “the convictions of Bliss and Coit are a dangerous step toward the evisceration of freedom of the press in North Carolina.”
Contrary to a ruling last June by Judge Tommy Davis, the brief declares that our reporters had a clear right — backed by abundant case law — to be in the park recording the police's actions after its official closing time. Additionally Davis also erred when he issued instructions to the jury that, among other problems, wrongly led them to believe they couldn't consider First Amendment protections or our reporters' status as journalists in their decision.
As always, we remain determined to fight this injustice to the last. Thank you to everyone — in Asheville and elsewhere — who has supported us in doing just that.
You can read more in our statement above.
If you want to support us directly, consider subscribing for a few bucks a month or donating. Our co-op is entirely working class trans and nb journalists and we rely on reader support.
