First Amendment

Web designer who offers wedding websites can be compelled to serve same-sex couples, 10th Circuit says

A Colorado anti-discrimination law can be used to compel a website designer who wants to create wedding websites to offer her services to people celebrating same-sex marriages, a federal appeals court ruled Monday.

Jul 28, 2021 2:10 PM CDT

Lawyer’s suit claims raid was retaliation for successful defense; city sees allegations as baseless

The city of Roanoke, Virginia, is seeking to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a lawyer who claims that police raided her home in retaliation for successfully defending her stepson on murder charges.

Jul 28, 2021 9:36 AM CDT

Judge faces ethics charges for Facebook post defending cop who said accused spa shooter had ‘a really bad day’

A judge in Cherokee County, Georgia, is facing ethics charges for defending a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office who said an accused spa shooter had “a really bad day.”

Jul 27, 2021 1:38 PM CDT

Scabby the Rat receives a reprieve from the NLRB

The National Labor Relations Board has ruled that a union didn’t violate the law when it displayed a 12-foot inflatable Scabby the Rat on public property near the entrance of an RV trade show in Indiana.

Jul 22, 2021 12:23 PM CDT

Will the Supreme Court reconsider a landmark defamation case?

Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil M. Gorsuch both called New York Times v. Sullivan into question in dissents from a cert denial earlier this month.

Jul 22, 2021 11:19 AM CDT

5th Circuit allows chaplain prayers in Texas court during appeal of establishment clause ruling

A federal judge likely erred when he banned chaplain prayers in a Texas courtroom, a federal appeals court ruled earlier this month.

Jul 21, 2021 12:40 PM CDT

Judge orders woman to take down anti-Biden signs using the F-word

A municipal court judge in New Jersey has ordered a homeowner in Roselle Park, New Jersey, to take down political signs using the F-word after concluding that they violated a borough ordinance that bans the display of obscene material.

Jul 21, 2021 11:18 AM CDT

Judge tosses Roy Moore’s $95M suit against comedian Sacha Baron Cohen

A federal judge has dismissed a $95 million defamation lawsuit brought against British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen by former Alabama chief justice and failed U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore.

Jul 14, 2021 2:45 PM CDT

4th Circuit dismisses Baltimore attorney’s suit against SPLC over ties to white supremacist group

Southern Poverty Law Center articles that publicized a Baltimore attorney’s connection to a white supremacist group are protected under the First Amendment, a federal appeals court ruled Monday.

Jul 13, 2021 1:45 PM CDT

Texas AG agrees to stop blocking Twitter users for ‘First Amendment-protected viewpoints’

The Texas attorney general has agreed to stop blocking critics on social media after a group of them alleged in court he was violating their free-speech rights.

Jul 13, 2021 9:55 AM CDT

Federal judge’s confirmation hearing a reminder of the importance of No Religious Test Clause

Last month, the U.S. Senate confirmed Zahid Quraishi as the first Muslim American federal judge in U.S. history.

Jul 13, 2021 9:45 AM CDT

Federal judge blocks Tennessee’s controversial new bathroom law

A federal judge has temporarily blocked Tennessee’s transgender restroom law, which requires businesses to post a specific sign if they allow transgender people to use bathrooms that match their gender identity.

Jul 12, 2021 3:00 PM CDT

Tort lawyers represent Trump in social media censorship lawsuits; is ‘state actors’ claim viable?

Personal injury lawyer John P. Coale is among the lawyers representing former President Donald Trump in censorship lawsuits against Twitter, Facebook and Google for suspending him and others from their websites.

Jul 8, 2021 10:17 AM CDT

SCOTUS in review: Kavanaugh is the median; Barrett, consensus justices play ‘the long game’

What are the takeaways from the most recent U.S. Supreme Court term? Several Supreme Court journalists are answering that question in stories that look at split decisions and consensus, the likely median justice and the justices most to the right.

Jul 7, 2021 10:50 AM CDT

Do we need to rethink how we handle classified leaks?

As the 50th anniversary of the Pentagon Papers case approached, First Amendment scholars Lee Bollinger and Geoffrey Stone knew they wanted to mark the occasion somehow.

Jul 7, 2021 9:00 AM CDT