Supreme Court Rejects North Carolina’s Appeal in Ag-Gag Law Dispute
The Supreme Court rejected North Carolina’s appeal in a dispute with animal rights groups over a law aimed at preventing undercover investigations at farms.
Proposed North Carolina Budget Would Exempt Legislators From Public Records Disclosures
Republican state lawmakers in North Carolina are attempting to exempt themselves from public records laws meant to safeguard transparency with a budget provision allowing them to keep any legislative document private — even after they leave office.
Livestreaming Police during a Traffic Stop is Protected Speech, Fourth Circuit Says
A North Carolina man sued a police department and two officers for violating his First Amendment right to record and livestream as a passenger during a traffic stop. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled Feb. 7 that livestreaming the police is protected speech.
North Carolina Supreme Court Upholds Defamation Ruling Against Investigative Reporter
In reviewing the case, the North Carolina Supreme Court found that the reporter had omitted important information and mispresented quotes from sources. This, along with other evidence, led the court to conclude that article's false statements had not resulted from "mere negligence" but from a "purposeful avoidance of the truth."
N&O reporter Mandy Locke is facing a defamation lawsuit over a series of articles in which she appeared to question the judgement of a State Bureau of Investigation agent. The case was heard in North Carolina's Supreme Court on Monday.
Confederate Statues In Charlottesville Continue to Divide
The debate over the removal of Confederate statues has loomed large over the past five years, met with protests, violence and now a question by the President over whether history is being rewritten.
Following Supreme Court, Kentucky Judge Lifts Social Media Ban on Sex Offenders
In June, the Supreme Court struck down a North Carolina statute with banned registered sex offenders from accessing social media because it violated their First Amendment rights (Packingham v. North Carolina). […]