First Amendment

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

Justices Debate Voter Confusion Over WA Primary Law

Both sides left the U.S. Supreme Court in an optimistic mood after oral arguments yesterday in a challenge to a Washington state law that curbs the influence of political parties. The law allows candidates in a primary to designate their own political party preference, Legal Times reports. The top two…

Oct 2, 2007 10:35 AM CDT

John Grisham Sued for Libel

The best-selling author of numerous legal thrillers has been sued for libel over his first nonfiction work, The Innocent Man. In an unusual federal libel conspiracy case, John Grisham, along with other authors and publishers, has been sued by a prosecutor and law enforcement officer over three nonfiction books published…

Oct 1, 2007 10:49 PM CDT

Editor in F-Word Controversy Hires Lawyer

The editor of a college newspaper that used the f-word in an editorial headline has retained a lawyer for advice on his First Amendment rights. The editorial protested a police officer’s use of a Taser against a student who wouldn’t stop asking questions at a forum featuring Sen. John Kerry.…

Oct 1, 2007 6:08 PM CDT

Verizon Does About Face on Abortion-Rights Campaign

Updated: Last week Verizon Wireless turned down a request by an abortion-rights group for a text message program, igniting debate over whether mobile companies should be able to censor messages. Today the company reversed itself, the New York Times reports. The original decision was a “mistake,” according to Verizon spokesman…

Sep 27, 2007 3:00 PM CDT

Federal Bill Would Ban ‘Murderabilia’ Sales

Prisoners would be barred from using the mail to sell personal items and criminal artifacts under legislation introduced Tuesday in the U.S. House. Five major Web sites sell “murderabilia.” Items up for bid range from a hubcap from Ted Bundy’s 1968 Volkswagen Beetle to a Zodiac killer wanted poster, the…

Sep 27, 2007 1:51 PM CDT

Judge Tosses Suit Over R-Word Ban

Updated: A Nebraska federal judge says he doesn’t like a state judge’s ban on the word “rape” in an upcoming trial, but he’s not going to do anything about it. U.S. District Judge Richard Kopf of Lincoln, Neb., dismissed a suit challenging the ban yesterday, the Associated Press reports. Plaintiff…

Sep 26, 2007 5:25 PM CDT