We posted about this case, last week. The judge’s reversal is unprecedented – as was the massive, all-inclusive response to the original decision.

US District Court Judge Jeffrey White did a U-turn on his own earlier order in San Francisco on Friday, reversing suppression of the whistleblower website Wikileaks…

The American Civil Liberties Union and the Electronic Frontier Foundation filed a motion protesting the censorship of Wikileaks, and The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) assembled a media coalition that filed a friend of the court brief on Wikileaks’ behalf.

The media coalition comprised almost all of the major US newspaper publishers and press organisations, including — in addition to the RCFP — the American Society of Newspaper Editors, The Associated Press, the Citizen Media Law Project, The E.W. Scripps Company, the Gannett Company, The Hearst Corporation, the Los Angeles Times, the National Newspaper Association, the Newspaper Association of America, The Radio-Television News Directors Association, and The Society of Professional Journalists…

Faced with such concerted and well founded opposition from the press, Judge White not only dissolved the injunction requiring Dynadot to suppress Wikileaks’ DNS entries but also denied the plaintiff’s request for an order prohibiting the website’s publication.

The article clearly defines the constitutional reasons for overturn. Well done, folks.




  1. Mister Catshit says:

    There is a possibility the Judge was embarrassed by his obvious hasty and wrong prior decision.

    It is one thing to be overturned on appeal. It is another to invite absolute ridicule from the Appeals Court that this decision would have done.

  2. bobbo says:

    Yes, its the right outcome for the right reasons- – -but- – – -how can a “judge” rule against the first amendment in the first place??

    The case remains as a clear benchmark that the constitution is under attack and damaged by the BushCo. How many other less known decisions have whittled away at the more arguable edges? ((I can name a few–mostly centered on increasing the secrecy of governmental actions etc)).

    So–it is good, but I’m not happy and no one else should be either. The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. (by somebody)

  3. amodedoma says:

    Yeah! One of those more and more infrequent moments in which I feel proud to be an American.
    All systems of goverment are flawed, but only the best can correct their own mistakes so quickly.

  4. patrick says:

    I’m glad the judge reversed. Now he should retire due to terminal stupidity…


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