Yesterday, FIC partner Jeff Cox and U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Newman moderated the spring edition of Dayton's Bench/Bar Media Law Forum. For the past several years, Dayton's legal community, media outlets, and law enforcement have gathered twice a year to engage in a collaborative dialogue regarding current media and communications law issues, including open government, privacy, and freedom of information. Yesterday's forum was no different.
Held at the Dayton Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center, the forum hosted over 80 men and women from Dayton, Cincinnati, and Columbus. Participants included print, broadcast and digital journalists; leading media lawyers and civil and criminal defense attorneys; senior law enforcement officers from Dayton, Montgomery, and Clark Counties; federal and state trial and appellate judges, and court personnel; and many state and local government officials. Jeff Cox led the discussion, which addressed recent Ohio Supreme Court decisions on Ohio's Public Records Act, the continuing risk/benefit considerations of the use of drones by law enforcement, media, commercial and private persons, law enforcement's use of body cameras, and the legal implications of live streaming social media apps such as Periscope and Meerkat.
The Forum recently partnered with the Dayton Bar Association. Without the support of the local community and tremendous organizations like the DBA, the Forum would not have been able to grow as it has over the years. Faruki Ireland & Cox P.L.L. looks forward to continued involvement with the Forum, and the local media law community.
