Do Anti-BDS Laws Restrict Speech?
The line between commercial decisions and advocacy is not as clear as opponents of anti-Israel boycotts suggest.
Civil Liberties
Alan Dershowitz's Libel Lawsuit Against CNN Can Go Forward
The lawsuit stemmed from CNN's coverage of Dershowitz's argument in the first Trump impeachment trial.
Baton Rouge Cops Strip-Searched a Minor During a Traffic Stop and Entered a Family's Home Without a Warrant. The City Just Settled for $35,000.
The case is an indictment on just how hard it is to get accountability when the government violates your rights.
Minnesota Threatens To Fine This Engineer for Calling Himself an Engineer
Charles Marohn called himself an engineer in speeches and articles while his license was temporarily expired. The First Amendment protects his right to do that.
Labeling Video Filed in Court "Confidential" Doesn't Make It So
Yet "[i]t is particularly troubling to the Court that [the lawyer] appears to have survived this motion more by dumb luck than any concerted effort on his part to comply with either his professional responsibilities or the orders of this Court."
Does Libel Dispute About Whether "TheDemonatrix" Comics Are "Lolicon" Belong in Federal Court?
(Lolicon is "A Japanese term derived from the English phrase 'Lolita complex,' lolicon describes a fascination with cartoons of very young-looking girls engaged in varying degrees of erotic behavior.")
California Bill Would Ban "Protest Activities" Within 300 Feet of Vaccination Site
But people have as much right to protest vaccination sites as they do to protest factories, stores, or abortion clinics.
Has Our Criminal Justice System Gotten Better Since George Floyd's Death?
Plus: critical race theory and ideal libertarian political appointees
If You Deserted While Still in Boot Camp, You're Not a "Veteran"
So holds a Pennsylvania court, affirming a conviction for fraudulently obtaining money by claims of veteran status.
Affidavit Supporting Search Warrant, Considered in Motion-to-Suppress Hearing, Can't Be Sealed
But modest redactions are permissible.
A City Got Protections From Qualified Immunity After a Cop Killed a Man. SCOTUS Won't Hear the Case.
The decision will make it even more difficult for victims to hold the government accountable when their rights are violated.
Section 230 Haters Aren't Going Away
Though Trump is gone, the desire to bend the internet toward partisan goals is alive and well.
Texas Lawyers Can Be Sued for Libel for Press Releases About Complaints,
even if the press release accurately summarizes the Complaint; the rule is different in some states, such as California.
A Euclid Cop Killed a Man Who Had Been Sleeping in His Car. The Cop Can't Be Sued. The City Can't Be, Either.
The Supreme Court has a chance to fix this. The stakes are high.
Biden Wants To Spy on American Bank Accounts
Plus: Trump administration spied on CNN reporter, the right's wrong turn on economic liberty, and more...
Prince Harry's First Amendment Aversion Is Funny; the Governments That Agree Are Scary
We expect British royals to favor muzzling commoners, but too many lawmakers feel the same way.
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.
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.
