Mattis Aide’s Book Released by the Pentagon Following Prior Restraint Suit

Less than two weeks after a former Navy pilot sued the Department of Defense (DoD) for delaying the review of his book, “Holding the Line: Inside Trump’s Pentagon with Secretary Mattis,” the DoD cleared the book for publication.

Deep Dive: The Nicholas Sandmann Defamation Lawsuits

This deep dive includes information about the defamation suits stemming from a viral encounter between a group of high school boys and a Native American activist. Students can use it to understand such as protected opinion, public figure doctrine, and other First Amendment concepts.

Public Official Sued For Blocking Constituent on Twitter and Facebook

A Colorado state senator is being sued for blocking a constituent on social media. Anne Landman is suing Republican Senator Ray Scott after he banned her from his official Twitter and Facebook accounts two years ago. “Sen. Scott censored me for being a critical constituent. Yet, he’s allowed his like-minded followers to ridicule me on his page and retain their right to speak freely,” Landman said in a statement. “This doesn’t feel like democracy. This feels like hypocrisy and punishment for having a different point of view.”

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.

President Trump’s Bid To Block Defamation Lawsuit By Zervos Rejected Again

A New York appellate court has rejected President Trump’s attempt to block a defamation lawsuit brought by former Apprentice contestant Summer Zervos, ruling that suit can move forward while he […]

Federal Appeals Court Says Public Officials Cannot Block Critics

A federal appeals court upheld a ruling that a local county official who temporarily blocked a constituent from her Facebook page violated the First Amendment, making this the first court of appeals ruling regarding whether the First Amendment applies to government-run social media accounts.

Gene Policinski Commentary: You Think Bombs Will Deter, Discourage And Destroy Freedom? Think Again.

The Newseum Institute’s First Amendment expert, Gene Policinski, originally published this commentary on October 26, 2018, on the Newseum blog, and has given First Amendment Watch permission to reprint.   […]

Trump Revokes Former CIA Director’s Security Clearance

President Trump implied that the reasoning behind why he revoked John Brennan’s security clearance is because of criticism, noting in a tweet that Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper […]