First Amendment Watch

Despite Court Order, Maker Of 3D Guns Begins Distribution

In a landmark legal move, the United States Department of State and the Second Amendment Foundation reached a settlement that would allow the digital files that can create 3-D printed guns to be freely published on First Amendment grounds.  The State Department agreed to waive the prior restraint against the Defense Distributed, a non-profit organization that develops and publishes open source guns designs that can be used in 3-D printing. But then states sued and a judge blocked the publication hours before they were set to be released.

Authors Share Excerpts on Free Speech

We explore First Amendment topics with leading authors by engaging with their recent First Amendment writings: Catherine J. Ross, Amy Gajda, Erwin Chemerinsky, Howard Gillman, Floyd Abrams, Charles Slack and Thomas Healy.

First Amendment Watch Teacher Guide: Why is James Madison’s Defense of Freedom of the Press Critical Today?

The press is under attack from many public officials as well as private citizens writing on their blogs and Twitter accounts. President Donald Trump, for one, has accused some news organizations of publishing “fake news” about his administration. Although he may be unusually vociferous in attacking journalists, public officials of all political stripes throughout American history have complained about the press when they are targets of criticism.

This is an opportune time for educators to reach back to James Madison for what may be the most powerful defense of freedom of the press written by any American.