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Constitutional Law

First Amendment Center

News related to the first amendment of the US Constitution and freedom of speech issues.
By First Amendment Center

Post Frequency: 38.7/day

Last Entry: March 29, 2011 at 21:00:00

Court sounds divided on violent video-games law

Posted on November 01, 2010
WASHINGTON ? The Supreme Court expressed sympathy today for a California law that aims to keep children away from ultra-violent video games, but several justices said the law faces a high constitutional hurdle. The high court heard arguments over a California ban that would make it illegal for retailers to sell or rent violent video games to anyone under 18...

High court turns away campaign-finance disclosure case

Posted on October 31, 2010
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court is passing up an election-eve chance to weigh in on campaign-finance disclosure rules for groups that raise and spend money independently of candidates. The justices today rejected an appeal from the conservative group SpeechNow...

Ala. high court rules health-care agency's records are public

Posted on October 31, 2010
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Alabama Supreme Court ruled late last week that the public has a right to see the records of a health-care agency in its sale of assets of two hospitals in northwest Alabama. The nearly unanimous ruling Oct. 29 went in favor of the TimesDaily newspaper, which had requested records from the Health Care Authority of Lauderdale County and the city of Florence after the authority sought bids in a plan to bolster financing of two hospitals...

Tenn. student leads prayer before high school football game

Posted on October 31, 2010
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. ? A group of young people and adults gathered and said a prayer before the start of a high school football game in southeastern Tennessee on Oct. 29 despite a ban on using loudspeakers to lead the event. A Soddy-Daisy police officer escorted a group of people assembled in front of the stands onto the grass just behind the goal posts just before the Soddy-Daisy game against Cleveland kicked off Friday night...

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Poll: Parents most responsible when kids play violent video games

Posted on October 31, 2010
WASHINGTON ? Parents should be most responsible for determining whether minors can buy or rent violent video games, according to a new, nationwide survey conducted for the nonpartisan First Amendment Center. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in Schwarzenegger v...

Air Force Academy cadets still subject to proselytizing

Posted on October 30, 2010
AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. ? An Air Force Academy-sponsored survey of cadets found that 41% of those who identified themselves as non-Christian said they were subjected to unwanted proselytizing at least once or twice last year. Nearly one-fifth of all cadets said they experienced unwanted proselytizing...

Va. newspaper wins FOIA lawsuit over harassment records

Posted on October 29, 2010
ROANOKE, Va. ? The parent company of The Roanoke Times has prevailed in a state Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the city of Radford. Times-World LLC this week received an uncensored portion of a document that initially had names and other information redacted...

Mich. teacher can keep job despite 'coarse' conduct

Posted on October 28, 2010
HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Mich. — The Michigan Supreme Court won't get involved in a dispute between a school district and a teacher who was photographed simulating sex acts on a mannequin at a boat party. The court's Oct. 27 decision to sit it out means the L'Anse Creuse district in Macomb County can't fire Anna Land...

Colo. judge rejects challenge to National Day of Prayer

Posted on October 28, 2010
DENVER — Gov. Bill Ritter did nothing unconstitutional when he issued proclamations recognizing the National Day of Prayer, a Denver judge ruled yesterday. 2nd Judicial District Court Judge R. Michael Mullins dismissed arguments by the Freedom From Religion Foundation that Ritter's proclamations are a state endorsement of religion, a violation of the Colorado Constitution's religious-freedom clause...

DUI arrest video of Vt. official released after ruling

Posted on October 28, 2010
MONTPELIER, Vt. ? A police�video of state Auditor Thomas Salmon's 2009 drunken-driving arrest was released yesterday after judge ruled in favor of a lawyer who was refused access to the footage sued the state. Lawyer John Franco, a supporter of Democratic auditor candidate Doug Hoffer, sued to get the dashboard video of the arrest of Salmon, a Republican seeking re-election...

Supreme Court refuses to stop Minn. disclosure law

Posted on October 28, 2010
WASHINGTON ? The Supreme Court has refused to block a Minnesota law requiring disclosure of corporate political spending. The high court without comment turned away today a request for an injunction from Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life. The Supreme Court earlier this year in Citizens United v...

Judge sides with newspaper in 1st test of Kan. shield law

Posted on October 27, 2010
WICHITA, Kan. — A Sedgwick County judge has ruled that The Wichita Eagle does not have to disclose confidential sources, in a ruling believed to be the first test of a new shield law for reporters in Kansas. Judge William Woolley said the new law prohibits journalists from being compelled to provide unpublished information that could be obtained elsewhere...

Alaska high court: Voters may see write-in list

Posted on October 27, 2010
ANCHORAGE, Alaska ? The Alaska Supreme Court late yesterday blocked a lower court's order and ruled that voters at polling places may see a list of write-in candidates. The ruling was good news for the campaign of incumbent U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski...

Get ready to rumble: Conn. voters can wear WWE garb to polls

Posted on October 27, 2010
HARTFORD, Conn. ? A federal judge has ordered Connecticut's top election official to allow voters to wear World Wrestling Entertainment garb to the polls, ruling that it could not be considered political advertising for Republican Senate candidate Linda McMahon, the company's former CEO...

Judge grants injunction vs. new Mass. obscenity law

Posted on October 27, 2010
BOSTON ? A federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction sought by free-speech advocates who argued that a new Massachusetts law aimed at protecting children from online sexual predators effectively bans from the Internet anything that may be considered "harmful to minors," including material adults have the right to view...

Court orders LimeWire to disable file sharing

Posted on October 26, 2010
NEW YORK ? Lime Group, whose LimeWire software has allowed people to share songs and other files over the Internet, received a federal injunction yesterday to disable key parts of its service. The privately owned company and its founder, Mark Gorton, have been wrestling in court with the Recording Industry Association of America, the body representing the U...

WWE head takes fight over Conn. election garb to court

Posted on October 26, 2010
HARTFORD, Conn. — World Wrestling Entertainment CEO Vince McMahon, the husband of U.S. Senate candidate Linda McMahon, yesterday filed a federal lawsuit seeking to stop local election workers from asking WWE fans to cover up their wrestling garb at the polls...

Fla. high court won't hear case on speaking at meetings

Posted on October 26, 2010
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. ? The Florida Supreme Court has refused to take an appeal from a lower court ruling that says citizens have no right to speak at meetings of government bodies. The decision is a setback for open government because city councils, county boards and other government bodies don't have to give citizens "the time of day," First Amendment Foundation director Jim Rhea said yesterday...

Vendors victorious in dust-up over Venice Beach rules

Posted on October 26, 2010
LOS ANGELES ? A federal judge has struck down city regulations governing who gets to sing and sell along crowded Venice Beach in Los Angeles. U.S. District Judge Dean Pragerson ruled last week that the city's weekly lottery system for distributing permits to boardwalk vendors and performers during the summer season violates the First Amendment...

Federal court tosses challenge to N.Y. election-ad disclosure rules

Posted on October 25, 2010
BUFFALO, N.Y. — A federal judge yesterday rejected a challenge to state election law brought by a group that opposes gay marriage and supports Republican candidate for governor Carl Paladino. The Washington, D.C.-based National Organization for Marriage argued last week that it should be allowed to run ads for Paladino, who has railed against same-sex marriage, without reporting donors? names or adhering to other election-law requirements governing political committees...

Documents reveal Calif. diocese long knew of abuse

Posted on October 25, 2010
SAN DIEGO — Newly released documents show the Diocese of San Diego long knew about abusive priests, some of whom were shuffled from parish to parish despite credible complaints against them. Attorneys for 144 people claiming sex abuse by priests made the records public on Oct...

Federal judge: First Amendment protects Amazon buyers' data

Posted on October 25, 2010
RALEIGH, N.C. ? Lists that identify the books, music and movies individual customers bought from online retailer Amazon.com Inc. are protected from North Carolina tax collectors, a federal judge has ruled. Amazon said in a lawsuit it filed in April in its hometown of Seattle that disclosing the names, addresses and purchases of its customers as requested by the North Carolina Revenue Department would harm anyone who may have bought controversial books or movies...

Gay student leader drops protection request against blogger

Posted on October 25, 2010
ANN ARBOR, Mich. ? The gay student government president at the University of Michigan dropped a request yesterday for a personal protection order against an assistant state attorney general who heckled his speeches and criticized him on a blog. Chris Armstrong?s lawyer notified the Washtenaw County Circuit Court he was withdrawing the request just hours before an afternoon court hearing...

Pa. newspaper cleared of libel for foreclosure stories

Posted on October 24, 2010
STROUDSBURG, Pa. ? A northeastern Pennsylvania newspaper has been cleared of libel allegations stemming from a series of stories investigating foreclosure rates in the Pocono Mountains. On Oct. 21, a Monroe County jury deliberated for two hours before finding in favor of the Pocono Record of Stroudsburg...

Alaska judge orders GOP candidate's records released

Posted on October 24, 2010
FAIRBANKS, Alaska — The Fairbanks North Star Borough must release personnel records from Senate Republican candidate Joe Miller?s time as an attorney for the borough, a judge ruled Oct. 23 in a decision that favors several news organizations that sued for the information...

Conn. voters may be asked to ditch WWE garb at polls

Posted on October 24, 2010
HARTFORD, Conn. ? Local election officials in Connecticut are being told they can ask people wearing World Wrestling Entertainment garb to cover it up while voting because it could be considered political advertising for Republican Senate candidate Linda McMahon, the company?s former CEO...

High court turns away challenge to Maine campaign law

Posted on October 24, 2010
WASHINGTON ? The Supreme Court has turned down a request to block key portions of a Maine campaign-finance law that provides matching funds for candidates and a $750 limit on contributions to candidates for governor. The Court acted Oct. 22 on a challenge from Respect Maine Political Action Committee and a Republican state lawmaker...

Iowa school district's dress code goes too far, state judge finds

Posted on October 23, 2010
DES MOINES, Iowa ? An administrative law judge says the Waterloo school district went too far with its dress code. Administrative Law Judge Carol Greta said she understood school officials? attempt to create a positive school environment, but she recommended that the State Board of Election reverse the dress code...

Vets stand guard over Christian flag in N.C. town park

Posted on October 22, 2010
KING, N.C. ? The Christian flag is everywhere in the small city of King: flying in front of barbecue joints and hair salons, stuck to the bumpers of trucks, hanging in windows and emblazoned on T-shirts. The relatively obscure emblem has become omnipresent because of one place it can't appear: flying above a war memorial in a public park...

NPR's federal funding questioned after analyst fired

Posted on October 21, 2010
WASHINGTON ? Conservatives and some liberals say NPR went too far in firing longtime news analyst Juan Williams for saying he gets nervous on planes when he sees people in Muslim dress, and at least one U.S. senator said he would propose cutting federal funding to the network...

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