Trial Set To Begin for Man Charged in 2017 Charlottesville Torch Rally at the University of Virginia
His attorney has argued in court documents that the white nationalists were expressing free speech protected under the First Amendment.
City Apologizes for Barring Local Charlottesville Resident from Commenting During Public Meeting
On September 18th, the city of Charlottesville, Virginia issued a formal apology after a local resident was blocked from commenting during a City Council meeting on Zoom. On May 18th, Charlottesville resident Tanesha Hudson criticized the way Council members were dealing with City Manager Tarron Richardson, who she alleges they were plotting to fire.
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.
“While Defendants did, of course, have a constitutional obligation to refrain from restricting Plaintiff’s speech on account of the threat, or possibility, of public hostility to their Alt-Right message, the law is clear that Defendants had no constitutional obligation to prevent that public hostility,” Judge Norman K. Moon wrote.
Catherine J. Ross: Trump’s Latest Threat To Free Speech And The Academy
Catherine J. Ross, professor of law at George Washington University Law School, explains the possible issues that could arise if President Trump signs an executive order requiring colleges to support free speech on their campuses in order to receive federal research funds. "Ultimately, the central constitutional risk inherent in Trump’s proposed executive order is all too familiar: it will chill protected speech. What’s more, it will likely violate central tenets of the Speech Clause when enforced," she writes.
One Year Since Deadly Charlottesville Protests
The violent clashes between protestors in Charlottesville were cloaked in First Amendment rights to free speech. But while the Constitution may protect hate speech, it does not protect incitement of violence.
InfoWars, Alex Jones and Others Sued For Defamation
For an in depth examination of Alex Jones and the Sandy Hook defamation lawsuits, click on the link below: Foreign Service Officer Brennan Gilmore, currently on leave from the State […]
Knight First Amendment Institute: From the Heckler’s Veto to the Provocateur’s Privilege
Reprinted with Permission From Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University Emerging Threats series invites leading thinkers to identify and grapple with newly arising or intensifying structural threats to the system […]