Court Orders Removal of Libelous Blog Posts About Former DHS Secretary Nominee Bernard Kerik
An interesting analysis, handed down last month
Civil Liberties
I Went to Work for the Government and I Found a Failing System
Freedom could never be imposed at the point of a gun, but perhaps it could be sown by the spread of silicon and fiber. Or so I thought.
Judge to PragerU: You Do Not Have a Free Speech Claim Against YouTube
Tech bias, real or alleged, does not violate free speech rights.
In Debate Over Political Speech Online, Facebook Has the Constitution on Its Side
As surely as winter follows fall, Republican election victories are followed by unconstitutional attempts to restrict political speech.
Elizabeth Warren Is Lying About Her Own Medicare Plan
Senator can't even accurately represent a plan whose numbers don't remotely add up
L.A. to Uber: Either Hand Over Realtime Data on Scooter Riders or Get Out of Town
The Los Angeles Department of Transportation's data-sharing requirements for dockless mobility companies have been criticized for invading users' privacy and violating state law.
"It's OK to Be White" Flyers Lead to Promise of "Severest Disciplinary Action" by Western Conn. State U.
Same for "Islam is right about women" flyer -- both are labeled "hate-filled flyers" by the University, and apparently the police and the FBI are investigating the distribution of the flyers.
College and the First Amendment: Free Speech Rules (Episode 7)
Episode 7 of Free Speech Rules, from UCLA law professor Eugene Volokh
More on Sealing from the Third Circuit
Sealed litigation is a rare exception to American courts' normal rule of public access.
What Is a 'Well Regulated Militia,' Anyway?
The Founders liked militias, but they also liked an armed citizenry. To them, the two ideas were inseparable.
Can't Seal Lawsuit to Protect the Marketability of Your House
Lawsuits are matters of public record -- and you generally can't hide them from prospective business partners, employers, house buyers, or others.
Kentucky Printer Wins Fight To Refuse To Print Pro-LGBT Shirts
But the technical nature of the decision might not stop future lawsuits.
Aaron Sorkin, Mark Zuckerberg Feud Over Political Ads. Here's Why Sorkin's Wrong.
Plus: The ACLU sues the FBI, divorce rates are at 40-year low, and more...
Federal Court Rules there is no Taking if the Police Destroy an Innocent Person's House During a Law Enforcement Operation
The ruling has considerable backing from precedent. But it is nonetheless based on a deeply flawed doctrine.
'We Can Fact Check Your Ass,' but Not When It Comes to Political Ads
Twitter has made a bad decision when it comes to banning political ads from its site. They should trust users to decide what is right or wrong.
Cops Destroyed This House To Arrest a Shoplifter. A Federal Court Says Police Don't Have To Pay for the Damage.
Are there any limits to what police can do in pursuit of a suspect? The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals apparently doesn't think so.
Twitter's Ban on Political Ads Will Help Incumbent Politicians Maintain Power
Attacks and threats by elected officials lead to inevitable self-censorship.
Federal Judge Orders Georgia Sheriff To Stop Ritualistically Humiliating Registered Sex Offenders on Halloween
Citing the First Amendment, the judge tells the sheriff he may not force certain homes to display signs warning trick-or-treaters to stay away.
Can lower courts decide novel abortion cases?
A strange, if understandable, form of abstention from Judge Easterbrook
'Mattress Girl' Emma Sulkowicz Walked Into a Libertarian Happy Hour. No, This Is Not a Joke.
Mattress girl's unlikely friendship with Reason folks is the subject of a recent piece for The Cut.
Can Big Tech Save Us From the Power of Government?
WhatsApp (and owner Facebook) sues to protect users from malicious surveillance from officials.
Barack Obama Slams Woke Scolds and Hashtag Activism
"This idea of purity and you're never compromised, and you're always politically 'woke,' and all that stuff, you should get over that quickly."
Former Time Editor and CEO of Constitution Center (!) Wants To Cancel First Amendment, Pass Hate Speech Laws
Freedom of expression is under attack from politicians, activists, and, saddest of all, journalists who benefit most from it.
Student Charged With Manslaughter for Texting Boyfriend to 'Go Die'
The 21-year-old faces criminal punishment for text messages to her suicidal boyfriend.
Dave Chappelle: Second Amendment 'Is Just in Case the First One Doesn't Work Out'
The comedian received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center in D.C. this weekend. His acceptance speech airs on PBS in January.
Florida Prisons Are a Slow-Motion Disaster
"We are a prison system that's overstuffed and under-guarded, and that is a lethal combination of policies," says state Sen. Jeff Brandes.
The FBI Rebrands Its Sex Worker Harassment Campaign
Operation Independence Day is just Operation Cross Country by a different name.
"There's a Rapist in Our School and You Know Who It Is"
A girl in a Maine public high school wrote this on a sticky note in a girls' bathroom; she was suspended for "bullying" a male student who was apparently seen as the target of the message—but a federal judge has stayed the suspension, concluding her speech was probably constitutionally protected.
A Survey Finds Speech Restrictions Are Pretty Popular. That's Why We Need the First Amendment.
Most respondents, especially millennials, favored viewpoint-based censorship, suppression of "hurtful or offensive" speech in certain contexts, and legal penalties for wayward news organizations.
Judge Says Cops Need Qualified Immunity To 'Stop Mass Shootings'
In fact, the legal doctrine lets cops to get away with outrageous conduct.
The Belated Approval of a Harm-Reduction Claim for Smokeless Tobacco Highlights the Potentially Deadly Impact of FDA Censorship
The FDA finally has agreed to allow a mild statement about the relative hazards of snus and cigarettes.
Vagueness Challenge to N.H.'s Criminal Libel Statute Can Go Forward
An interesting court opinion, though I think on balance mistaken.
Prosecution Under Criminal Libel Statute Struck Down 30 Years Before Leads to $100,000 Settlement
"[Anne King's ex-husband], [Washington County Sheriff's Department] Captain King, feeling upset and 'disrespected' over the post, contacted Washington County's magistrate court about initiating a criminal complaint against Ms. King."
The Medal of Honor Recipient vs. The Historian, and the Right of Publicity
"The more research Mr. Rigg did for the book, the more discrepancies appeared."
Colorado School Suspends 17-Year-Old After She Posted a Non-Threatening Gun Photo With Her Older Brother
She didn't break the law or threaten anybody, but her school still panicked.
Study: YouTube's Fringe Video Viewers Aren't Passive Zombies
Plus: Cryptocurrency crashes, prison abuse protests in Florida, the death of the center-right, and more...
Congress Asked Mark Zuckerberg a Bunch of Really, Really Stupid Questions at the Libra Hearing
Another show trial for Facebook's beleaguered CEO
Billy Bragg Wants Three-Dimensional Freedom. But Can We Afford That?
In his new manifesto The Three Dimensions of Freedom, the veteran punk rocker calls out libertarians for focusing solely on economic freedom. Is his case worth buying?
Dick's CEO Becomes Latest Anti-Gun Billionaire To Dream of a Third-Party Presidential Run
Well, at least they have the name!
S.C. Judge Rules the Obvious: It's Unconstitutional for Police to Seize and Keep People's Property Without Proving They Committed Crimes
Law enforcement and prosecutors have seized millions from people they’ve arrested. That might be coming to an end.
The Connecticut Hate Crimes Law Used To Charge Two Idiot College Students Would Ban Family Guy Too
The state's hate crimes law—a "rarely enforced relic dating to 1917"—eviscerates free speech.
If Facebook Can Get Rid of Dick Pics, It Can Stop All Drug Deals Too, Claim Activists
Gutting Section 230 would make it harder to track drug deals, not easier.
If Confiscating 'Assault Weapons' Is a Gimmick, So Is Banning Them
Beto O’Rourke’s scheme would be an ineffectual attempt to enforce arbitrary distinctions.
Unconstitutional "Racial Ridicule" Prosecution in Connecticut
I have an op-ed about this today in the N.Y. Daily News.
Massachusetts Bill Would Impose $200 Fines, 6 Months in Jail for Using the Word 'Bitch'
The bill is an obvious First Amendment violation says Jim Manley of the Pacific Legal Foundation.
