Tag: First Amendment

Threats of causing actual harm to someone has never been considered protected speech under the First Amendment.  The U.S. Supreme Court will now review online threats made on Facebook and Twitter, in  Elonis v. United States. The case involves a se...

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to come to the aid of New York Times reporter James Risen. He is facing jail time after refusing to comply with a subpoena seeking the identity of a source used for his book, “State of War.” The government main...

In the most important election law case since Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the United States Supreme Court has rejected the overall limits on the amount individuals are allowed to donate during a federal two-year cycle. McCutcheon ...

Earlier this month marked the 50th anniversary of New York Times v. Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254 (1964). The seminal First Amendment case, which occurred during the height of the civil rights movement, ensures that journalists can do their jobs without fea...

Religion continues to dominate the U.S. Supreme Court docket. Earlier this month, the justices agreed to consider whether the Arkansas Department of Correction’s “no beard” policy violates the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Ac...

While the Roberts Court is widely viewed as pro-First Amendment, the justices showed little love for a military protestor in oral arguments held last week. The case, United States v. Apel, involves where to draw the line between military security and...

While the U.S. Supreme Court is not expected to squarely address the issue of abortion during its upcoming term, it will reconsider the legality of buffer zones around abortion clinics. The case, McCullen v. Coakley, involves a First Amendment challe...

The Affordable Care Act is likely headed back to the U.S. Supreme Court next term, which starts in October. While the latest round of challenges involve the law’s contraception mandate, the Court’s decision may be influenced by Citizen’s United...

The government cannot force funding recipients to serve as its mouthpiece, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in one of the most significant First Amendment cases of the term. The justices specifically held that requiring nongovernmental organizations wish...

President Barack Obama has received criticism in the wake of reports that the Justice Department seized phone records for telephone lines used by reporters and editors at The Associated Press. The government was trying to determine the source of leak...