Nov 22 Trump disavows alt-right in New York Times interview By Dan Cooney, Kristen Doerer President-elect Donald Trump disavowed the alt-right in an on-the-record interview with the New York Times on Tuesday. He also responded to questions about the possibility of prosecuting Hillary Clinton, his commitment to the First Amendment, his plans for Syria, and… Continue reading
Feb 27 Trump threatens to weaken First Amendment protections for reporters By Jeff Horwitz, Associated Press Feeling maligned by the media, Donald Trump is threatening to weaken First Amendment protections for reporters if he were president and make it easier for him to sue them. Continue reading
Jan 11 High court seems skeptical of mandatory public union fees By Sam Hananel, Associated Press WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court on Monday appeared ready to deal a major blow to organized labor as it considers the free speech rights of government workers who say they shouldn't be forced to pay fees to public sector unions. Continue reading
Dec 31 How federal law draws a line between free speech and hate crimes By Eric Tucker, Associated Press WASHINGTON — Incendiary rhetoric has seeped into 2016 presidential politics, surfaced in the public debate over accepting Syrian refugees into the U.S. and popped up repeatedly following terror attacks in Paris and San Bernardino. Continue reading
Jun 01 High court throws out conviction of man who made threatening Facebook rants By Sam Hananel, Associated Press WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court on Monday threw out the conviction of a Pennsylvania man prosecuted for making threats on Facebook, but dodged the free-speech issues that had made the case intriguing to First Amendment advocates. Continue reading
Mar 23 Watch 6:32 How the First Amendment affects your specialty license plate By PBS News Hour Does the state of Texas have the right to issue specialty license plates featuring a Confederate flag? Marcia Coyle of The National Law Journal fills in Gwen Ifill on the case being argued at the Supreme Court, as well as… Continue watching
Jan 20 Watch 5:58 Case on judges’ campaign fundraising divides Supreme Court By PBS News Hour The Supreme Court heard a case that could unravel state laws on judicial candidates asking for campaign donations. Marcia Coyle of The National Law Journal joins Judy Woodruff to explain the arguments in the Florida case, take a look at… Continue watching
Dec 01 Should threatening speech be protected on Facebook? By Sam Hananel, Associated Press The justices will hear arguments Monday in the case of a man who was sentenced to nearly four years in prison for posting graphically violent rap lyrics on Facebook about killing his estranged wife, shooting up a kindergarten class and… Continue reading
Aug 09 Watch Art or evidence? After appeal, court rules violent rap lyrics not a confession By PBS News Hour In a ruling that could have national implications, the New Jersey State Supreme Court unanimously agreed that Vonte Skinner's rap lyrics should not have been admitted at a murder trial, ruling that those graphic lyrics weren't sufficient evidence to prove… Continue watching
Aug 09 New Jersey court strikes down murder conviction based on violent rap lyrics By Saskia de Melker, William Brangham This week, the New Jersey State Supreme Court overturned, by a vote of 6-0, the attempted murder conviction of an aspiring rapper and small-time drug dealer named Vonte Skinner, arguing that the extensive reading of Skinner’s violent rap lyrics during… Continue reading