Michigan State University VP of Research Ousted Because of His Past Scientific Statements
He remains a tenured faculty member.
Civil Liberties
Turning Local Disturbances into Federal Cases
The Department of Justice is finding creative ways to file federal charges against rioters and looters.
Ninth Circuit Strikes Down Statute Limiting IMDb's Display of Actor Ages
The interest in fighting age discrimination in employment doesn't trump free speech rights.
Judge Royce Lamberth Condemns John Bolton's Conduct, But Declines to Block Publication of Bolton's Memoir
"By the looks of it, the horse is not just out of the barn—it is out of the country."
Of Chris Rock, Cartoons, and Qualified Immunity
A Sixth Circuit panel rejects claims of qualified immunity for officers and Monell immunity for a Cleveland suburb.
7 Race-Neutral Solutions to Racially Skewed Law Enforcement
These reforms would protect all Americans while reducing racial disparities in policing.
Colorado Police Reforms Mandate Body Cameras, Strip Bad Officers of Lawsuit Immunity
The legislation rolls back regulations that have been shielding bad police from accountability.
Why Bad Cops Aren't Punished: The Case Against Qualified Immunity
Police officers shouldn't be above the law.
How Police Reform Bills in Congress Compare
Everybody is talking about changing law enforcement, but not all proposals are equally worthy—or serious.
Let's Stop Talking About Free Speech and Start Defending It
Don't lock down expression along with so much else of American society.
Ordinary Woman Fired Because of Washington Post Article About Costume She Wore at Halloween Party Two Years Ago
Not a high-level official, not a spokesperson, not an endorser -- just an ordinary person.
MLB Letter in Yankees Sign-Stealing Investigation Should Be Unsealed, Says Federal Judge
The decision has been promptly appealed.
Will Latin American Civil Rights Be a Casualty of Coronavirus?
Protesters in many countries may find themselves facing down state forces with extralegal powers and a muzzled press.
New Louisiana Law Will Let Doctors Decide When Marijuana Is Right for Their Patients
While there are still numerous barriers to access in Louisiana's medical marijuana system, a specific list of "qualifying conditions" will no longer be one of them.
Katie Herzog and Jesse Singal on Left-Wing Cancel Culture
The heterodox hosts of the popular Blocked and Reported podcast talk about surviving internet outrage, the roots of speech repression, and the power of direct financial support from fans.
The Justice Department Is Trying To Stop the Publication of John Bolton's White House Tell-All
They’re not likely to succeed, but the real goal is to seize any money he makes.
'Without Police, There Is Chaos': Trump Signs Police Reform Executive Order
It does not touch qualified immunity or police unions.
Matt Boermeester, a USC Football Player Who Was Expelled After an Unfair Title IX Investigation, Wins in Court
"USC stripped away my hopes and dreams of playing in the NFL, and this ‘win' does not erase that."
Ohio S. Ct. Reverses Order Blocking Man from All "Posting About" His Sister and Mother
"Even if past [mentally distressing] speech that an offender made to a person ... could be considered ... integral to the criminal conduct of menacing by stalking [and thus unprotected], we do not believe that this principle may be applied categorically to future speech ... directed to others."
Protest Organizers Shouldn't Be Liable for Other People's Crimes
A lower court precedent left unchallenged would unjustly compromise First Amendment protest rights. The Supreme Court should reconsider.
Former eBay Employees "Charged with Leading a Cyberstalking Campaign Targeting the … Publisher of a Newsletter"
"that eBay executives viewed as critical of the company" (as best I can tell, the newsletter is EcommerceBytes).
Public and Private Sectors Clash on Contact Tracing
Apple and Google’s API promises to put privacy first. State health authorities have other ideas.
The Cops Who Sicced a Dog on a Surrendered Suspect Got Qualified Immunity. SCOTUS Won't Hear the Case.
"I have previously expressed my doubts about our qualified immunity jurisprudence," writes Associate Justice Clarence Thomas in a dissent.
Clarence Thomas Upbraids SCOTUS for 'Prolonging Our Decade-Long Failure to Protect the Second Amendment'
"The fundamental protections set forth in our Constitution," Thomas writes, should be "applied equally to all citizens."
Supreme Court Rules, 6–3, That LGBT Workplace Discrimination Violates Civil Rights Act
Justice Neil Gorsuch's majority decision offers a textualist argument for the ruling.
Art History Professor Condemned by Stanford Undergraduate Senate
Her crime? Spelling out what the rap group N.W.A. stands for, and quoting one of their lyrics.
"No Official, High or Petty, Can Prescribe What Shall Be Orthodox"
"in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion."
Requirement of Licensing and Test for Tour Guides Violates the First Amendment
"An individual's right to speak is implicated when information he or she possesses is subjected to restraints on the way in which the information might be used or disseminated."
The Former Cop Who Killed George Floyd Will Get $50K Annual Pension Even if Convicted of Murder
The family of George Floyd probably won't be able to successfully sue Derek Chauvin in civil court because of qualified immunity, but they will help pay for the killer cop's retirement.
Criminal Justice Divides the 'Conservative' Judiciary
Pundits often speak of the judiciary in terms of liberal or conservative judges issuing liberal or conservative opinions. The reality is far more complicated.
Another Judge Rules That Ohio's COVID-19 Lockdown Is Illegal
The decision says the "unbridled and unfettered consolidation of authority in one unelected official" violates due process and the separation of powers.
A Cop Shot a 10-Year-Old and Got Qualified Immunity. Tom Brady and 1,400 Other Pro Athletes Want To Fix That.
Citing work from Reason, players and coaches from the NFL, NBA, and MLB are urging Congress to end qualified immunity.
Chicago Cops Nap and Snack in the Ruins of Riots
If this is what cities are paying billions for, no wonder people are calling for defunding.
How 2020 Demolished the Case for Gun Control
For those who have been advising Americans for years that we should lay down our own weapons and trust armed government employees, this year has been a massive reality check.
Federal Aircraft Accused of Tracking Protesters
Plus: Breonna’s Law bans no-knock raids in Kentucky, Amazon's third-party problem, new findings on metabolism, and more...
"Vocational Training Is Speech Protected by the First Amendment"
Ninth Circuit allows plaintiffs to challenge California statute that bars students from attending some for-pay trade schools unless the students have a high school diploma, have a GED, or can pass a government-prescribed test.
Both Left and Right Should Stop Blithely Wishing for a New Civil War
All that accomplishes is encouraging us to view our fellow Americans as enemies, to see ourselves as members of warring tribes rather than citizens of a nation.
With 1 Republican Cosponsor, Rep. Justin Amash Gains Tripartisan Support To End Qualified Immunity
Rep. Tom McClintock (R–Calif.) announced he will support the Ending Qualified Immunity Act.
