Q&A with Attorney Meenakshi Krishnan on the Future of Knight Institute v. Trump
Two weeks ago, the Trump administration petitioned SCOTUS to review a ruling preventing him from blocking critics from his Twitter account. Knight Attorney Meenakshi Krishnan talks about why his arguments are likely to fail should the Supreme Court decide to take the case.
Federal Judge Rules that Palin’s Defamation Suit Against New York Times Can Proceed to Trial
On August 28th, a federal judge ruled that a defamation suit brought by former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin against The New York Times can proceed to trial.
Ninth Circuit Lifts Injunction Exempting Journalists and Legal Observers from Dispersal Orders
In a 2-1 decision, the Ninth Circuit wrote that the lower court’s restraining order was too broad because it failed to specify who qualified as a journalist or legal observer. In previous hearings, the federal government had argued that differentiating between journalists and protesters was especially difficult given that some protesters wear press insignia to avoid the police’s crowd control tactics.
Fourth Circuit Rules Parts of Federal Anti-Riot Act Violate First Amendment
The Fourth Circuit is the first federal appellate court to find parts of the law unconstitutionally overbroad under the First Amendment. The ruling could impact Attorney General William P. Barr’s plan to use the law to prosecute individuals accused of inciting riots during the demonstrations following the police killing of George Floyd.
Texas Governor Says Teacher Who Showed Cartoon Comparing Police to KKK Should Be Fired
The cartoon is made up of five panels and starts with an image of a slave ship owner kneeling on a Black man's neck, and ends with a police officer kneeling on a Black man while he says "I can't breathe."
Video: Frequently Asked Questions on Basic Free Speech Principles
In partnership with FIRE, First Amendment Watch developed a series of videos to help universities teach students about their free speech rights protected by the First Amendment.
TikTok and WeChat Users Challenge the Constitutionality of Trump’s Executive Orders
The lawsuits, filed by WeChat users and the company Tiktok, claim the executive orders violate the First and Fifth Amendment, and that the law is unconstitutionally overbroad. Both lawsuits are asking for declaratory relief, as well as a preliminary and permanent injunction barring the president from enforcing the orders.
Oregon District Court Bars Federal Agents From Targeting Journalists
The judge extended a preliminary injunction prohibiting federal agents from "arresting, threatening to arrest, or using physical force" against journalists or legal observers. An attorney working with the ACLU on the case called the court's decision "a crucial victory for civil liberties and freedom of the press."