One Night in Miami
The movie depicts the fictionalized gathering of Cassius Clay, Malcolm X, Jim Brown, and Sam Cooke, who spar over what each is doing to advance civil rights.
Civil Liberties
Will Pro-Life Politicians Face a Backlash If the Supreme Court Lets Them Restrict Abortion?
National surveys obscure large regional variations in public opinion about abortion limits.
1619 Project Author Nikole Hannah-Jones Denied Tenure at UNC-Chapel Hill
The surprising move raises concerns about academic freedom.
Teen Arrested Under Connecticut's Unconstitutional Hate Speech Law for Racist Social Media Post
Calling a classmate a racist slur on Snapchat is offensive. It’s also protected speech.
USPS Uses Facial Recognition and Other High-Tech Tools To Monitor Social Media
Plus: Three things that aren't as bad as they seem, Tennessee bans certain treatments for transgender minors, and more...
Congressional Democrats Waffle on Qualified Immunity
Cops say they can't function without qualified immunity, while their supporters on the right say abolishing it would be a step toward defunding the police. Neither claim is true.
Cops Who Beat a Man After Pulling Him Over for Broken Lights Receive Qualified Immunity
The victim will now have no right to argue his case before a jury in civil court.
Facebook's Oversight Board Was Right To Ban Trump
It's a working model for non-state governance in cyberspace that is vastly preferable to government control of social media.
Overreacting To Domestic Terrorism Makes It Worse
Targeting “extremists” threatens civil liberties while increasing the stresses that lead to violence.
Get a Warrant, Supreme Court Tells Cops Who Seized Guns From Home Without Due Process
Plus: On SATs and bias, what changed when Texas lifted its mask mandate, and more...
From FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, About Baltimore Prosecutor Marilyn Mosby's Complaint
Released May 10, but just posted on Westlaw.
Gun Buybacks Don't Seem To Significantly Lower Gun Crimes or Gun Deaths
The policies don't accomplish much more than putting money in some gun owners' pockets.
Court Affirms >$10M Libel Verdict Against Disgruntled Ex-Employee-Turned-Competitor
The defendant had been barred from presenting his defense, as a sanction for his persistent violation of court orders, including one that he had expressly consented to.
He's on Montana's Sex Offender Registry for Consensual Gay Sex—and the State Wants To Keep Him There
Plus: Cult panic, what the AT&T merger means, and more...
Americans Don't Want Schools To Punish Off-Campus Speech
Only students support extending the power to penalize speech, raising concerns about what they’re learning in school.
Risky Pleading in Sex-Related Libel Cases
If plaintiff broadly claims that defendant libeled her by "imputing unchastity," she risks having to disclose a lot about her sexual history.
Another "Racial Ridicule" Arrest in Connecticut, This One for an Online Insult
But the "racial ridicule" statute under which this is happening (1) by its terms doesn't cover such speech, and (2) if it did, it would be unconstitutional.
Anyone Who 'Aids or Abets' Abortion Could Be Sued Under New Texas 'Heartbeat Bill'
Plus: Death penalty proposed for Atlanta massage parlor shooter, judge tosses Google antitrust suit, and more...
He Lost His Eye After a Cop Allegedly Fired a Tear Gas Canister at His Face. The Officer Says He Has Qualified Immunity.
If the officer succeeds, the victim will not be allowed to sue on those claims.
No Preliminary Injunctions Against Libel, Magistrate Judge Reaffirms
And claims of veiled threats don't change that.
ATF's Proposed Rules Threaten a Legal Mess but No End to Ghost Guns
Regulations might reshape DIY gun products, but they can’t eliminate the demand that created the industry.
More on the New Taboo: Accurately Quoting Source Documents in University Classrooms
Rutgers Law School, the National Coalition on Censorship, and the Washington Post.
My New "Dissenting Opinions" Podcast
some heterodox views about Supreme Court opinions, and more
Wash. Court Reverses Order Banning "Defamatory and Harassing" Posts About Judge and Court Employees
It's an unconstitutional prior restraint, the court holds.
"How Often Do You Think People Make False Accusations" Related to Sexual Misconduct, Discrimination, or Retaliation?
"All the times," "sometimes," or "rarely"? A prominent public university's training module requires faculty to give a particular answer.
The Police Dog Who Cried Drugs at Every Traffic Stop
Cops laugh about “probable cause on four legs” but the damage to innocent lives is real.
Sixth Circuit Rules Property Owners Can go to Federal Court to Argue Takings Clause Bars Seizure of Home Equity in Cases Where Property is Foreclosed to Pay off Tax Delinquencies
The ruling may be the first major effect of the Supreme Court's 2019 decision in Knick v. Township of Scott, which ruled that property owners are not required to "exhaust" state court remedies before filing takings cases in federal court.
John Samples: Facebook's Oversight Board Was Right To Uphold Trump Ban
A member of the board (and a Cato Institute vice president) defends the controversial decision to kick the former president off the social media platform.
Baltimore's Top Prosecutor Attempts To Send FCC Against Local Fox Affiliate
Don’t call yourself a supporter of the First Amendment while attempting to punish a media outlet for criticizing you.
How Detectives Caught the Golden State Killer—and Unleashed a Catastrophe for Civil Liberties
Police were finally able to catch the serial killer using DNA genealogy databases—violating many innocent people's constitutional right to privacy.
Texas Lawmakers Push a Likely Unconstitutional Ban on Plant-Based Food Producers Labeling Their Products 'Meat,' 'Beef,' 'Pork'
Producers of plant-based meats argue these restrictions violate the First Amendment.
Bust a Deal, Face the Wheel, Here for Colleges and Settlements for Lawsuits Over Expulsions
A student was expelled by St. John Fisher College for alleged sexual misconduct, but was then acquitted at a criminal trial and sued the college; the college agreed to confidentiality to settle the case, but then allegedly breached the agreement.
The FBI Seized Heirlooms, Coins, and Cash From Hundreds of Safe Deposit Boxes in Beverly Hills, Despite Knowing 'Some' Belonged to 'Honest Citizens'
Victims of the FBI's constitutionally dubious raid say they've been told to come forward and identify themselves if they want their stuff back.
Recent Developments in Controversies About Quoting Slurs from Court Cases
A CNN story on the Rutgers law school controversy; the settlement agreement in the firing of Central Michigan University professor Tim Boudreau; and the views of Prof. Nadine Strossen, former President of the ACLU.
"When an Individual Brings a Claim with Respect to Which Her Disabilities Are Central,"
“the public has a substantial interest in knowing about those disabilities so it can meaningfully oversee the Court’s exercise of its judicial power.”
Baltimore Prosecutor Asking FCC to Investigate TV Station for Criticizing Her
The elected prosecutor (Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby) is claiming that the station's coverage of her is "blatantly slanted, dishonest, misleading, racist, and extremely dangerous."
We Reply to Anonymous Above The Law Columnist's Response to Our "The New Taboo: Quoting Epithets in the Classroom and Beyond"
Above the Law refused to publish our reply, so we're publishing it here.
