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protected speech

Supreme Court lets stand lower court ruling that Illinois need not offer ‘Choose Life’ license plates

donal brown October 6, 2009

The Supreme Court rejected a free speech claim from Choose Life Illinois Inc. upholding an appellate court ruling that the plate would have given the impression that Illinois was taking sides in the abortion controversy. -DB Boston Tribune By David G. Savage October 5, 2009 WASHINGTON, D.C. — Illinois need not offer “Choose Life” license plates to motorists, under a ruling the Supreme Court let stand today. The justices turned down a free-speech claim from

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Court rules teacher can pursue suit over political speech

donal brown August 17, 2009

Ruling on a teacher’s claim that he was dismissed for criticizing the school administration, a federal judge said it is already established that public employees do not enjoy First Amendment protection while at work but that the teacher could pursue his suit against the school district on the basis of the teacher’s claim that he also was forced out for his off-campus political activities. -DB Metropolitan News-Enterprise August 17, 2009 By Kenneth Ofgang A former teacher

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Federal court rules sheriff’s deputy criticism not protected speech

donal brown August 3, 2009

While criticizing a sheriff for reacting in an irresponsible way to criticism of his use of personnel, the 7th Circuit ruled that the sheriff could discipline the deputy who brought the criticism. The deputy had argued that he had a right under the First Amendment to speak without suffering retaliation.  -DB First Amendment Center July 30, 2009 By David L. Hudson Jr. A Wisconsin sheriff who transferred a deputy to patrol a crime-ridden neighborhood on foot

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Gates case: Disorderly conduct or protected speech?

donal brown July 30, 2009

Concerning the arrest of the Harvard Professor Louis Gates, a commentator for Forbes Magazine says it is important to look beyond the racial and class issues to those of the First Amendment. Does loud and offensive necessarily constitute disorderly conduct? -DB Forbes Magazine Commentary July 28, 2009 By Harvey A. Silverglate The now-infamous Gates story has gone through the familiar media spin-cycle: incident, reaction, response, so on and so forth. Drowned out of this echo chamber

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