Muhammad Ali a central figure in unfolding of First Amendment rights

Muhammad Ali, the former world heavyweight boxing champion, “embodies the essence of the First Amendment,” writes David L. Hudson Jr., of the First Amendment Center. Hudson shows how Ali was at the “vortex of…First Amendment freedoms,” freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly and petition.  -db From a commentary for the First Amendment Center, January 21, [...]

Federal court dismisses inmate’s defamation suit after television show casts him as gang member

A federal appeals court in Denver dismissed a defamation lawsuit against A&E Television Networks for referring to an inmate as a member of the Aryan Brotherhood gang when he had only helped the gang. He subsequently received death threats from other prison gangs. The court found the A&E program defamatory but substantially true so protected [...]

Libel suits against New York Times dwindle to zero

Up against Times v. Sullivan and the cost of a lawsuit of some duration, lawyers are reluctant to take up libel suits against national publications. -db ABA Journal October 1, 2010 By Ed Finkel During his 30 years as a lawyer for the New York Times Co., George Freeman says, the “Gray Lady” faced four [...]

Massachusetts Supreme Court rules that the state’s anti-SLAPP law does not protect journalists

An ACLU lawyer argues that the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court erred in ruling that journalists are not protected by the state’s anti-SLAPP law owing to their role in reporting objectively.  The ruling ignores the role of the reporter in petitioning on behalf of the community. -db Media Nation Opinion February 1, 2010 By Sarah Wunsch [...]

Congress investigates whistle-blower site WikiLeaks

After publishing a number of high-profile leaks on its site, WikiLeaks has been made the target of Congressional investigations and possible criminal charges. -DB Citizen Media Law Project Opinion December 11, 2009 By Kimberley Isbell The holiday season is in full swing, as evidenced by the marked uptick in the number of gift-giving guides clogging [...]