Harvey A. Silverglate brings to his commentary on legal issues for The Boston Phoenix an impressive background. He is not only a journalist but a practicing lawyer, one with an acute sense of the failings of the criminal-justice system. His political column, Freedom Watch, won a 2005 AltWeekly Award. This is the 14th in a "How I Got That Story" series highlighting the AltWeekly Awards' first-place winners.
Spurred by the lobbying effort of Missoula Independent publisher Matt Gibson, a bill extending legal-notice advertising to free-circulation newspapers passed the Montana state legislature yesterday. The bill must now be signed by Governor Brian Schweitzer to become law. Ironically, Gibson's primary opposition was the Montana Newspaper Association, for which he serves as a member of the board of directors. According to Gibson, a former member of the AAN Board, "AAN publishers need to be alerted to the practical reality that a periodical mailing permit, as commonly required in legal notice statutes, accomplishes very little to protect the people’s right to know. It does not ensure minimum reach or distribution, nor does it require independent verification of circulation. It's superfluous, and legislators can be convinced to change to law."
On Feb. 18, a judge ruled that the paper's predatory-pricing lawsuit against New Times Media may proceed, and gave New Times 30 days to answer the complaint or appeal the ruling.
