Civil Liberties
First Batch of Inauguration Day Protesters Acquitted In Key First Amendment Case
The Justice Department's attempt to prosecute six anti-Trump protesters falls flat on its face, but it says more trials will follow.
'Degrading and Vile' Modification of Colleague's Wedding Photo Was Protected Speech
The New Jersey Supreme Court narrowly construes a ban on annoying conduct to avoid First Amendment problems.
D.C. Allowed to Exclude Religious Ads from Buses
Seems inconsistent with a 1995 Supreme Court precedent, but the D.C. federal court allowed this, and the D.C. Circuit seems to agree.
GW Students Organize to Fight Oppression By Oppressing Reading Choices
Obvious propaganda should be labeled propaganda, obviously.
Can Public Display of Pictures of Nudity Be Criminalized?
It turns out the Supreme Court has dealt with the question, in Erznoznik v. City of Jacksonville (1975).
Congress Mulls Passing Most Intrusive Federal Surveillance Bill Available (Update: Bill Is Dead 'For Now')
This FISA renewal bill would essentially gut the Fourth Amendment.
Court Upholds Right to Display Signs Depicting Aborted Fetuses
A sound decision Monday from a federal district court in Michigan.
King County Cops Illegally Recorded Sex Stings
The good news? Many whose lives they tried to ruin are now off the hook.
Rand Paul: No Surveillance Debate Means a No Vote on Spending Bill
Senators demand discussion of protections for Americans against unwarranted snooping.
Can Repeated Speech Be Criminalized Just Because It's Intended to "Seriously Annoy"?
No, says the New Jersey Supreme Court in an opinion that sharply limits the state criminal harassment statute.
Breaking News Before Local Cops Do Lands Laredo Vlogger With Felony Charges
Sharing arrest and accident info on Facebook before cops can tell "official" media is not OK, say Laredo police-and nevermind that one of their own was the source.
Conservative Snowflakes Get Protesting Nebraska Instructor Booted From Her Teaching Job
Will colleges sanction every educator with a provocative opinion?
"There Is a Constitutional Right of the Public to Film the Official Activities of Police Officers in a Public Place."
So says the Hawaii Supreme Court.
Bar on Registering 'Immoral or Scandalous' Trademarks Violates First Amendment
So a Federal Circuit panel held today, answering a question that the Supreme Court's Slants case left open.
Amash, Massie, and Other Congress Members Demand Standalone Vote on Federal Surveillance Laws
Can they get past the FBI vs. Trump narrative to talk about snooping on the rest of us?
Government Is the Cause of—Not the Solution to—Online Censorship
As people worry about the net neutrality vote, public officials threaten our rights to free speech.
Prostitution Ad Ban Creeps Forward, Threatening Social Media and Sex Workers
The bill would gut Section 230 and make sex advertising a federal crime.
Supreme Court Won't Decide Whether Civil Rights Act Bans Anti-LGBT Discrimination
Lower courts are split on whether sex-based protections cover orientation.
Posting or Hosting Sex Ads Could Mean 25 Years in Federal Prison Under New Republican Proposal
A related measure would open digital platforms to liability for past crimes committed by users.
Trump vs. Weigel—Shudder, Giggle, or Both?: Podcast
Also on the Reason Podcast: Is abortion a good reason to vote for Roy Moore? Did Al Franken get a raw deal? Can the feds smother bitcoin?
If Disqualified Gun Buyers Aren't Dangerous, Maybe They Shouldn't Be Disqualified
Given the arbitrariness of federal criteria for gun ownership, the public safety benefits of background checks are dubious.
The End of Free Speech
In 2017, the left eats its own and the right shows its true colors.
The FBI Is No Friend of Liberty and Justice
The FBI's handling of the Michael Flynn case is disturbing.
Atlanta Targets Good Samaritans Sharing Food with Homeless
Feed yourself in a public park. Feed the pigeons and the squirrels there, too. Whatever you do, though, don't share your food with a hungry person.
These Three Cases Define This Month at the Supreme Court Term: Podcast
How to think about gay wedding cakes, Fourth Amendment rights, and whether the federal government can ban sports betting. Plus: How will Neil Gorsuch vote?
Cops Out HIV-Positive Woman to Neighbors and Media
"Around the corner, there's a family neighborhood that's decorated for Christmas," a local television station reports while airing her photo.
Court to Cops: Forcing a Teenager to Masturbate in Front of You Is Not Reasonable
A detective who was later charged with molesting children performed the humiliating search while investigating consensual sexting.
An Update on Gun Legislation One Month After the Texas Mass Shooting
The reaction has shifted to fixing the government's flawed background check system.
Justice Dept. Opposes Mandatory Union Dues for Public Employees, Reversing an Old Position
DOJ argues workers are being forced to subsidize political positions with which they may disagree.
Licensing Board Admits It Can't Silence Red Light Camera Critic
The Oregon engineering board fined Mats Järlström for exercising his First Amendment rights. Now, finally, it admits it's not allowed to do that.
House Pisses Off Gun Control Advocates, Opponents With Concealed Carry Bill
The bill dramatically liberalizes concealed carry laws nationwide.
You Don't Lose Your Right to Anonymity Just Because You Lost a Lawsuit
An appeals court defends anonymous speech.
Cops Brag That They Bullied a Woman Out of Town After a Neighbor Said She Sells Sex
An investigation would've taken months, so Larksville Police decided to skip that part.
Kentucky Top Court to Consider Shop's Refusal to Print Gay Pride T-Shirts
This is a clear-cut case of unconstitutional compelled speech with an easy verdict.
New Jersey Borough Solves Its Traffic Problem By Banning Commuters
Except on one thoroughfare, nonresidents will need to demonstrate a reason for being on the town's roads.
Hillbilly Hotties Win First Round in Bikini-Barista Battle
"Bikinis can convey the very type of political speech that lies at the core of the First Amendment," writes federal judge.
Supreme Court Today Mulls Whether Bakers Can Be Forced to Make Gay Wedding Cakes
Public accommodation laws clash with freedom of religion and compelled speech.
Don't Register Anything
Putting yourself on a registry of people who engage in activities, or own goods, that are even mildly controversial makes you vulnerable to abusive officials.
Who Owns Pepe the Frog? The Alt-Right vs. Cartoonist Matt Furie
A legal fight involving the alt-right, Trump voters, one of Washington, D.C.'s most powerful law firms, and the website 4chan is brewing.
Prohibited Pony Protest at Clinton Event Spurs Vermin Supreme Speech Suit
"No pony has ever attacked an American politician," the lawsuit notes.
Goat Yoga Gets Baaaaaa-nned
The D.C. Department of Health wants to protect farm animals from the ancient Hindu practice.
Chuck Schumer Freaks Out Over Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing Privacy
Worried about your genetic privacy? Then don't take the tests.
Declining to Bake a Gay Wedding Cake Is Not the Same As Banning Gay Marriage
The point seems to elude The New York Times.
Antifa Wants 'Bleeding Heart Libertarian' Professor Fired. We're Not Exactly Sure Why.
He did make the mistake of having his picture taken with Milo Yiannopoulos.
