First Amendment

Judge Who Won Libel Verdict Defends Ethics Charge

A judge who won a $2.1 million libel verdict against the Boston Herald choked up as he defended himself on ethics charges that he used court stationery to demand even more money to conclude the case. The Massachusetts Commission on Judicial Conduct has accused Judge Ernest Murphy of using court…

Oct 16, 2007 3:47 PM CDT

Group Seeks Access to Sealed Beer Vendor Settlement

The consumer group Public Citizen is seeking to unseal a settlement in a suit by the family of a 10-year-old girl who was paralyzed in a crash with a drunken Giants football fan. The parties settled after an appeals court overturned a $105 million verdict against a stadium vendor that…

Oct 16, 2007 3:26 PM CDT

IL Requires Silence at Start of School Day

The Illinois Legislature has approved a law requiring a moment of silence at the beginning of the school day. Lawmakers acted to override a veto by Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who said the law could erode the separation between church and state, the Chicago Tribune reports. The law is likely to…

Oct 12, 2007 2:51 PM CDT

IL Chief Justice Settles Libel Case

The chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court has settled his libel suit against a Chicago suburban newspaper for a reported $3 million. The agreement settles ongoing litigation after a $7 million libel verdict for Justice Robert Thomas against the Kane County Chronicle, the Chicago Tribune reports. The Chronicle also…

Oct 12, 2007 2:35 PM CDT

Lawyer’s TV Ad Claims Rival is Nonlawyer

A Texas personal injury lawyer has paid for TV ads asserting that a partner in a Corpus Christi law group is not a lawyer. The lawyer in the ad, Thomas Henry, has also filed a complaint with an unauthorized practice of law committee, Texas Lawyer reports. Henry wants a determination…

Oct 10, 2007 1:52 PM CDT

Feds Pursue Obscene in Sea of Porn

Created in response to pressure from conservative groups, a little-known federal task force is trying to hold the line on obscenity. It is targeting for prosecution a small number of fringe film producers in the nation’s booming pornography industry, focusing on movies that, although otherwise legal, may fall within the…

Oct 9, 2007 3:21 PM CDT

Criticized in Sermon, Parishioner Sues

Criticized by a parishioner in private telephone messages, a Catholic priest in suburban Chicago might have been best-advised to turn the other cheek. Instead, he fired back from the pulpit, allegedly saying he’d checked beforehand with a lawyer who’d approved his comments. After parishioners arrived at mass at St. Thomas…

Oct 8, 2007 6:50 PM CDT

3rd Circuit Weighs Coach’s Bowed Head

A high school football coach contends in a federal appeal that he has a constitutional right to support his players during their prayers by bowing his head and kneeling. The Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments in the case last week. It pits football coach Marcus Borden…

Oct 8, 2007 6:29 PM CDT

Law Barring Political Lies Struck Down

The Washington Supreme Court has struck down a law that barred political candidates from saying false things about their opponents. The court struck down the law even though it barred only lies that were motivated by actual malice, the New York Times reports. The court said the law violated the…

Oct 8, 2007 5:59 PM CDT

Lawyer’s Dispute With Bar, Judge Heads for Hearing

The showdown between an anti-porn crusading lawyer and the Florida Bar is headed for a hearing tomorrow when a federal judge considers the bar’s motion to dismiss the suit. Florida lawyer Jack Thompson’s dispute with the bar has expanded to include the judge in the case, who has refused a…

Oct 8, 2007 4:16 PM CDT

Defamation Suit for Lawsuit Press Conference Allowed

A federal judge has refused to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a Georgia gun shop claiming it was defamed by statements made in a press conference announcing a lawsuit. The suit was filed against New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other city officials. The defamation allegations stem from a May…

Oct 5, 2007 1:31 PM CDT

Rush Limbaugh Divorce Details Secret, But Salary Isn’t

Details of Rush Limbaugh’s 2004 divorce settlement will remain secret because of a Florida appeals court ruling yesterday. The court denied a motion for rehearing (PDF) by the Palm Beach Post, which is seeking to unseal the file, the Daily Business Review reports. A dissenter argued that the agreement is…

Oct 4, 2007 12:27 PM CDT

Justices Ask: What’s Wrong With ‘Sham’ Judge Elections?

Skeptical U.S. Supreme Court justices appear to side with the state of New York in a challenge to its system of electing judges. In oral arguments yesterday, only Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg appeared sympathetic to the judge challenging the nominating convention system where political party leaders hold sway. And she…

Oct 4, 2007 11:59 AM CDT

‘Bar-Certified Sane Lawyer’ in New Judge Dispute

Anti-porn crusader Jack Thompson has had his share of disputes with judges. The South Florida lawyer is vocal in his criticism—so vocal that The Florida Bar is considering two complaints that contend his statements about two judges violated ethics rules. Now Thompson’s lawsuit (PDF) attempting to put a stop to…

Oct 3, 2007 12:10 AM CDT

Court Won’t Walk Church-State Line

The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear two religion cases yesterday, keeping the church-state issue off the docket entirely so far this term. One case was a challenge by Christian charities to a law requiring employers to pay for birth control pills. Another challenged a public library’s refusal to allow…

Oct 2, 2007 11:23 AM CDT