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First Amendment News

George Carlin: Rethinking a free speech icon

FAC July 16, 2010

As a new court ruling overturns the rules on TV cussing, a look back at the comic who helped start the debate Salon.com July 16, 2010 By Matt Zoller Seitz Thirty-two years after the Supreme Court ruled on a free speech case sparked by the George Carlin routine “Filthy Words,” profanity and the First Amendment are in the news again. A ruling handed down this week by the New York-based Second Court of Appeals all

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Judge: Law penalizing fake heroes unconstitutional

FAC July 16, 2010

A judge in Denver has ruled that a federal law making it illegal to lie about being a war hero is unconstitutional because it violates free speech. First Amendment News July 16, 2010 By AP DENVER —The ruling, made public Friday, came in the case of Rick Glen Strandlof, a Colorado man who claimed he was an ex-Marine wounded in Iraq and had received the Purple Heart and Silver Star. The military had no record

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Media groups side with Westboro protestors in court case

FAC July 16, 2010

Twenty-two media organizations have sided with a radical church against the father of a fallen Marine who is trying to sue it for picketing his son’s funeral. Stars and Stripes July 16, 2010 By Jeff Schogol ARLINGTON, Va. —The media organizations filed a friend-of-the-court brief on Wednesday with the Supreme Court in favor of the Westboro Baptist Church, which protests near servicemembers’ funerals because it believes that troops’ deaths and other national tragedies are divine revenge

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Court Tosses FCC’s Indecency Policy

FAC July 13, 2010

A federal court tossed out the Federal Communications Commission’s indecency policy Tuesday, ruling that its poorly defined constructs violate the First Amendment. News July 13, 2010 By Ira Teinowitz In a major victory for Hollywood in general and the broadcast networks in particular, the three-judge U.S. court of appeals panel said the policy is “unconstitutionally vague” and creates “a chilling effect.” The challenge was brought by Fox Television Stations, and joined by NBC, ABC and the Center

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China seeks to reduce Internet users’ anonymity

FAC July 13, 2010

As part of China’s Internet “real name system,” forum moderators would have to use their real names as would users of online bulletin boards.  Anonymous comments on news stories would be removed. – SMD News July 13, 2010 By AP BEIJING — A leading Chinese Internet regulator has vowed to reduce anonymity in China’s portion of cyberspace, calling for new rules to require people to use their real names when buying a mobile phone or

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