First Amendment News

The Federal Bureau of Investigation provided 70 percent fewer stats and tables than usual in its Crime in the United States report published in September.  (Law & Crime, November 20, 2017, by Colin Kalmbacher) According to a Human Rights Watch analysis, October 31, 2017 by Brian Root, the FBI is omitting vital information on arrests. They are no longer breaking down the number of drug arrests for possession over against the number for drug sales.

Freelance journalist Alexi Wood is facing a possible prison term of up to 60 years for charges including inciting to riot, conspiracy to riot and destruction of property. For his defense Wood is relying on his video tape of the event which he says shows him doing little more than expressing his awe at some of the destructive acts. Government critics fear that such prosecutions will discourage freelancers and small, independent news outlets from covering

A Texas sheriff wants to cite a truck driver for disorderly conduct when he discovered  that a sticker on a truck read “F–k Trump and F–k you for voting for him.” The sheriff  posted the details of the state law on Facebook followed by a torrent of comment from the public. One user said she didn’t want her children to see profanity on the road. Another said, referring to Trump’s boast about seducing women during

After a defeat in California state court, Monsanto is funneling its legal attack to federal court where it is claiming that a requirement for a warning label on Roundup weed killer is forced speech and violates their First Amendment rights. Monsanto is concerned about a state finding that glyphosate in Roundup is a carcinogen. (Courthouse News Service, November 16, 2017, by Nick Cahill) California based its decision on World Health Organization research from 2015 that

A California appeals court ruled that Yelp had the standing to uphold its users’ First Amendment rights but found that a reviewer’s identity could not be protected since the reviewer’s online statements were defamatory. In 2016 an accountant complained that a review defamed him and his business and asked Yelp to identify the reviewer. Yelp asked a trial court to block the subpoena claiming it would infringe on the First Amendment right to anonymous speech.