ig ation ▁work ▁in ▁the ▁courts , ▁the ▁Part ners hip ▁also ▁purs ues ▁freedom ▁of ▁information ▁requests ▁to ▁obtain ▁public ▁records ▁rel ating ▁to ▁police ▁surve ill ance ▁of ▁activ ist ▁groups . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁the ▁Washington ▁Post ▁called ▁the ▁organization ▁" the ▁constitution al ▁sh er iffs ▁for ▁a ▁new ▁protest ▁generation ." ▁ ▁Est ab lish ment ▁and ▁organization ▁The ▁PC J F ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁by ▁law y ers ▁Carl ▁Mess ine o ▁and ▁Mar a ▁Ver he y den - H illi ard , ▁a ▁married ▁couple . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁the ▁organization ▁consisted ▁of ▁Mess ine o , ▁Ver he y den - H illi ard , ▁and ▁one ▁staff ▁att orney . ▁The ▁group ' s ▁offices ▁are ▁located ▁on ▁Florida ▁Avenue ▁N W . ▁ ▁History ▁and ▁activities ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁the ▁group ▁was ▁handling ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁significant ▁First ▁Am end ment ▁law su its ▁stem ming ▁from ▁anti - global ization ▁protest s , ▁protest s ▁at ▁the ▁first ▁inaug uration ▁of ▁George ▁W . ▁Bush , ▁and ▁protest s ▁against ▁the ▁Ira q ▁War . ▁The ▁group ▁argued ▁in ▁court ▁that ▁the ▁D . C . ▁police ▁department , ▁the ▁F BI , ▁and ▁other ▁government ▁ag encies ▁un law fully ▁suppress ed ▁diss ent ▁and ▁engaged ▁in ▁" pre empt ive ▁mass ▁arr ests , ▁sp ying ▁and ▁brut ality ." ▁The ▁PC