Civil Liberties
Government To Blame for Texas Church Shooting That Left 26 Dead, Says Court
Plus: Trump's absurd lawsuits against social media, states take aim at Google app store, and more...
SCOTUS Revisits Gun Control
"The Second Amendment does not exist to protect only the rights of the happy few who distinguish themselves from the body of 'the people' through some 'proper cause.'"
Hawaii Bill Legalizing Stun Guns Just Became Law Today, Will Become Effective Jan. 1
Rhode Island, maybe New York, Wilmington (Delaware), and a few small towns are the only places in the U.S. that still forbid stun guns.
Fifth Circuit Strikes Down Ban on Religious Proselytizing at El Paso Art & Farmers Market
The market was conducted on city streets, managed by the city, and open to the public.
Abigail Shrier: Trans Activists, Cancel Culture, and the Future of Free Expression
The Irreversible Damage author talks about getting deplatformed from Target and her support for gender-reassignment interventions.
Andrew Cuomo Declares a Gun Violence 'Disaster Emergency' and Signs a Bill That Invites Lawsuits Against Firearm Suppliers
New York's new law seems to conflict with a federal statute that protects manufacturers and dealers from liability for gun crimes.
Ohio Passes Controversial Conscience Clause for Doctors
Opposed by LGBT and pro-choice advocacy groups, the measure allows doctors to refuse to perform treatments on moral grounds
Trump Judicial Appointees Clash Over Qualified Immunity and 'the Woke Constitution'
The fight over qualified immunity divides "conservative" judges on the 5th Circuit.
The Campaign Against 'Extremism' Looks Like an Attack on Speech
Efforts against violence are turning into restrictions on ideas.
My Washington Times Article Making the Case for Increasing Compensation and Procedural Protections for Property Owners Who Lose their Land to Eminent Domain
It's the second in a two-part series on eminent domain reform.
Facebook Will Now Ban Criticism of "Concepts, Institutions, Ideas, Practices, or Beliefs" When They Risk "Harm, Intimidation, or Discrimination" Against Religious, National, or Other Groups
This includes "burning a national flag or religious texts, caricatures of religious figures, or criticism of ideologies."
Tennessee Woman Sues State Officials for Revoking Her '69' Vanity Plate
Nashville’s Leah Gilliam says her vanity plate is protected by the First Amendment.
After a False Abuse Allegation, Child Services Took This Mom's 3 Children Away
"We thought they helped people."
Economic Power Being Leveraged to Control Political Discourse
I'm serializing my new Social Media Platforms as Common Carriers? article, forthcoming in the Journal of Free Speech Law.
Social Media Platforms as Common Carriers?
I finally have a presentable draft of this article, forthcoming in the Journal of Free Speech Law; I'll be posting excerpts over the next couple of weeks.
Kelo, Originalism, and Public Use
A response to Jonathan Adler's attempt at an originalist defense of Kelo v. City of New London.
Should an Originalist Justice Support Overruling Kelo v. New London?
The general assumption that the Fifth Amendment bars takings for economic development purposes rests on shaky ground.
Why Didn't COVID-19 Kill the Constitution?
We can thank judges who were prepared to enforce constitutional limits on public health powers.
Is NYT v. Sullivan the Real Problem with Libel Law? (Updated)
Glenn Reynolds suggests it's how that landmark decision was applied and expanded that has created the real problem.
Clarence Thomas, the Supreme Court's Most Conservative Justice, Trashes Qualified Immunity Again
The Court has "failed to justify our enacted policy," he wrote.
Justice Thomas Takes Another Shot at Qualified Immunity
He repeats his concern that QI doctrine rests on "shaky ground" and imposes a "one-size-fits-all doctrine" that is "an odd fit for many cases," including those involving university administrators.
He Died After He Was Shot in the Back by a Cop. Will Anyone Be Held Accountable?
Salaythis Melvin's family says they want justice.
SCOTUS Rules That California Violated the First Amendment by Routinely Demanding Donor Information From Advocacy Groups
Six justices agreed that the state's "dragnet for sensitive donor information" imposes "a widespread burden on donors' associational rights."
Journal of Free Speech Law Call For Papers: Symposium on the Freedom of Association and Disclosure Requirements
We'll be ready to publish articles on this subject as early as September, if you submit them by August 1.
S. Ct. Strikes Down California Requirement that Charitable Organizations Disclose Major Donors to State AG
"The gravity of the privacy concerns in this [case] is further underscored by the [amicus briefs supporting the challenge].... [T]hese organizations span the ideological spectrum ...: from the [ACLU] to the Proposition 8 Legal Defense Fund; from the Council on American-Islamic Relations to the Zionist Organization of America; from Feeding America—Eastern Wisconsin to PBS Reno."
Florida's Social Media Bill Was Supposed To Protect 'Free Speech.' A Judge Says It Violates the First Amendment.
Plus: How Trump lost in 2020, Amazon seeks recusal of FTC chair, and more...
San Jose Wants to Force Gun Owners to Carry Insurance and Pay Fees
The fees would be used to reimburse the city for the public costs of gun violence.
Federal Law Enforcement Is Running Roughshod Over Facial Recognition Privacy, Says GAO
Civil liberties advocates call for a moratorium on federal facial recognition.
A New Case Gives the Supreme Court a Chance To Defend Gun Rights
It's likely that soon, almost all Americans will be legally able to carry guns.
Assignments Aimed at "Requiring a Statement" of Ideological Belief from Students May Violate First Amendment
So holds a Fifth Circuit panel (by a 2-to-1 vote), in an assignment requiring the writing of the Pledge of Allegiance, but the same argument would apply, I think, to compelled statements of other ideologies, whether related to patriotism, race, sex, sexual orientation, or anything else.
