Feb. 10, 2026
The attack on our free press: attorneys must stand up for the truth
Amid rising misinformation, recent journalist arrests and broader Trump-era actions are framed as escalating threats to press freedom--highlighting weak legal remedies against federal officials and the urgent need to defend a free press to protect democracy.
Joseph W. Cotchett Jr.
Founding Partner
Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy LLP
840 Malcolm Rd #200
Burlingame , CA 94010
Phone: (650) 697-6000
Fax: (650) 697-0577
Email: jcotchett@cpmlegal.com
UC Hastings COL; San Francisco CA
Joseph W. Cotchett is in the California and American Trial Lawyers Hall of Fame. He is the founding partner of Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy and a former President of the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, International Academy, International Society of Barristers and a Diplomate in the American Board of Trial Advocates. He received a B.S. in engineering from Cal Poly Tech and his J.D. from the University of California Law, San Francisco. He served in the Army and was awarded the distinguished Legion of Merit for his service. He is an Author of several books on law and ethics.
We are now in an age where misinformation is easily spread through social media platforms, podcasts and other means, making the role and integrity of the press more important than ever, and the actions of the current Trump administration demonstrate a stark disregard for such ideals. In the early 1930s, some of the first things the Third Reich did in Germany were to suppress the press and the judicial...
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