First Amendment News

The UC Berkeley law school dean Erwin Chemerinsky says that a protest staged at his home during a law student dinner was not within the bounds of First Amendment protection. “No one has the right to come into my house, or yours, and disrupt a dinner,” said Chemerinsky. The Berkeley Law Students for Justice in Palestine mounted the protest. (ABA Journal, April 11, 2024, by Debra Cassens Weiss) In his commentary on the incident, Josh

Caitlin Vogus of the Freedom of the Press Foundation, April 2, 2024, reports that already in 2024, there has been four arrests or detentions of journalists covering protests. Police are still routinely detaining journalists in spite of successful lawsuits against law enforcement. But even if the journalists ultimately prevail in court, they are still prevented from covering protests to provide the public with knowledge of important events. When students staged a sit-in at Vanderbilt University

Kimberly Wehle in The Hill, April 3, 2024, argues that ex-president Donald Trump’s claim that his “political speech” is protected by the First Amendment fails under scrutiny. Free speech has its limits particularly when used in criminal behavior, When Trump stated that the 2020 election was stolen and entered into a conspiracy to overturn the election, he could no longer hide behind the First Amendment. American Civil Liberties Union lawyers write that they have defended

As a counter weight to local journalism with a hidden political bias and unknown funders, the nonprofit State Newsroom has emerged with newsrooms in 50 states dedicated to covering state politics and policy. Donors do not dictate editorial opinion and reporters are nonpartisan although the guiding mission is to be progressive without defining what that might be. (Columbia Journalism Review, April 5, 2024, by Cameron Joseph) For related FAC coverage, click here, here and here.

A coalition is mounting a defense against AI-driven lies that could adversely affect the 2024 presidential election. Voters over 65 are particularly vulnerable. Ads are in production for campaigns in swing states of Florida, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Michigan and Wisconsin. (Axios, April 8, 2024, by Ryan Heath) Faking robocalls is now faster and cheaper than even and poses real dangers. A robocall in New Hampshire purported to be in President Joe Biden’s voice and urged voters