First Amendment

Crosses on Chaplain Badges Barred Under Settlement

An atheist’s lawsuit has resulted in a settlement requiring images of crosses to be removed from badges worn by police chaplains in Spokane. Ray Ideus, formerly a Lutheran pastor who became an atheist, filed federal suit last year challenging the inclusion of the Christian symbol on the badges. The city…

Dec 5, 2007 5:25 PM CST

Atheist Back With Pledge, Currency Challenges

Atheist Michael Newdow asked a federal appeals court in oral arguments yesterday to remove the words ”under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance and ”In God We Trust” from U.S. currency. Newdow won a favorable ruling from the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2002 when he…

Dec 5, 2007 1:10 PM CST

Funny Lawyer Ads No Joke in N.Y.

Law firm ads that show attorneys towering over skyscrapers and offering legal advice to space aliens obviously aren’t meant to be taken seriously. But New York’s attorney general isn’t finding them at all amusing, reports Portfolio magazine on its website. In a brief filed yesterday in response to a July…

Dec 4, 2007 11:50 PM CST

State-Funded Prisoner Religion Program Tossed

A federal appeals court has ruled that a state-financed program that seeks to rehabilitate prisoners through Christian ideals violates the establishment clause. Americans United for Separation of Church and State had challenged the program run by InnerChange, a group affiliated with Charles Colson’s Prison Fellowship that operates in six states,…

Dec 4, 2007 5:55 PM CST

Plaintiff Surmises St. Louis Sign—and Animal—Preferences

An activist who owns several St. Louis apartments as part of his “housing ministry” is challenging a sign ordinance that bans his large mural opposing government seizure of property. Jim Roos’ 360-square-foot mural, painted on the side of one of his apartment buildings, reads “End Eminent Domain Abuse.” He received…

Dec 3, 2007 5:07 PM CST

No Butts About It

School Board’s Bottom Line: Teacher’s Cheeky Creations Mean His Classroom Days Are Behind Him

Dec 1, 2007 8:01 PM CST

Feds Drop Request for Amazon.com Book Buyer Names

Unsealed court records reveal that federal prosecutors have withdrawn a controversial subpoena that sought the identities of 24,000 Amazon.com customers who purchased used books online. The about-face came after U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen Crocker of the Western District of Wisconsin ruled the customers have a First Amendment right to shield…

Nov 27, 2007 10:07 PM CST

Teen Ranch Fails to Get Cert in Free Exercise Case

The U.S. Supreme Court has turned down a case that challenges Michigan’s decision to bar placements of troubled youths at a faith-based organization, SCOTUSblog reports. The Cincinnati-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had ruled (PDF) in January that Michigan could refuse placements at Teen Ranch Inc. because the group…

Nov 26, 2007 4:01 PM CST

Fired Principal Sues Over Ban on Reapplication

A controversial New York City school principal who was fired last year over a T-shirt slogan has sued because she wasn’t allowed to reapply for her job along with 25 other applicants. Debbie Almontaser, who founded the first Arabic-language school in New York City, filed suit today in federal court…

Nov 19, 2007 11:16 PM CST

4th Circuit Nominee Sued for Defamation

Updated: A lawyer nominated to the Richmond, Va.-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has been sued for defamation for allegedly trying to deflect blame for a botched appeal. The suit against E. Duncan Getchell Jr. claims the nominee led a team of lawyers that failed to file a transcript…

Nov 19, 2007 1:54 PM CST

City Attorney Probes TV Show Cancellation

First Amendment experts are criticizing a city attorney’s probe into the cancellation of a TV show on which he was a frequent guest. San Diego City Attorney Michael Aguirre is seeking e-mails, financial statements and other documents from public-television station KPBS, the San Diego Union Tribune reports. Aguirre wants to…

Nov 16, 2007 1:09 PM CST

Rev. Billy Plans Civil Suit After DA Drops Protest Charges

The First Amendment looms large in the case of Rev. Billy, who was arrested in June for harassing police by reciting the text of the free speech guarantee. The case against the street performer was dismissed after prosecutors missed a deadline on purpose, the New York Times reports. The Manhattan…

Nov 15, 2007 6:17 PM CST

Suit Spurs School to Recognize Pro-Life Club

A Virginia teen has dropped her lawsuit after school officials agreed to recognize her Pro-Life Club. Sixteen-year-old Stephanie Hoffmeier filed suit in Alexandria federal court in September after officials at Colonial Forge High School turned down her request for recognition, the Washington Post reports. The club’s mission is to encourage…

Nov 6, 2007 5:53 PM CST

Ohio Dowry Ruling is Appealed; Important Muslim Marriage Issue

In a case that has attracted national interest, an Ohio woman is appealing a court ruling that her ex-husband doesn’t have to pay the dowry she is guaranteed in her Muslim marriage contract. Although courts in other states reportedly have enforced similar religious marriage contracts, the judge in Raghad Alwattar’s…

Nov 1, 2007 4:21 PM CDT

NY Lawyer Faces Defamation Suit Over Media Remarks

A New York lawyer has been accused of making “reckless and defamatory” comments to the media in a defamation lawsuit. Thomas Liotti of Garden City, N.Y., was targeted for comments he made in defense of his client, who is accused of embezzling $4.3 million from escrow accounts at his brother’s…

Nov 1, 2007 2:27 PM CDT