So holds the Minnesota Court of Appeals in today’s In the Matter of the Welfare of J.J.M. A. (surprisingly, an opinion labeled by the court as nonprecedential). J.J.M.A. was arrested for, among other things, possession of a glass pipe used for smoking marijuana, which was covered by the state ban on possessing drug paraphernelia. Minnesota […]
Author Archive | Eugene Volokh
No Veto Override for Proposed Missouri Ban on Publishing Names of Gun Owners or Concealed Carry Permit Holders
I sharply criticized the proposed ban — part of a broad pro-gun-rights law that passed both houses of the Missouri Legislature, and was then vetoed by the Governor (partly on free speech grounds) — two weeks ago. A week later, the state House voted to override the veto, but the state Senate override failed, by […]
“Messiah” Returns
A month ago, a Tennessee judge ordered that a child’s first name be changed from “Messiah,” reasoning: “The word Messiah is a title and it’s a title that has only been earned by one person and that one person is Jesus Christ,” Judge Ballew said…. According to Judge Ballew, it is the first time she […]
“Liking” a Facebook Page Is Presumptively Protected Speech
So holds today’s Bland v. Roberts (4th Cir. Sept. 18, 2013), I think correctly. The trial court had held that “[s]imply liking a Facebook page … is not the kind of substantive statement that has previously warranted constitutional protection,” but the court of appeals disagreed: On the most basic level, clicking on the “like” button […]
Conan the Librarian
The Library of Congress’s The Constitution: Analysis & Interpretation — a clause-by-clause treatise summarizing U.S. constitutional law and citing to relevant cases — is now out. (The URL is http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/GPO-CONAN-2013/pdf/GPO-CONAN-2013.pdf.) The PDF is huge; if it’s taking too long for you to load, go here and follow the link you need for the particular Article […]
Libel Insurance and Online Commenters
Say you posted a comment online — on a site such as Yelp, on a blog, or elsewhere — and now someone is threatening to sue you for libel. What do you do? Well, if you have homeowner’s insurance (or renter’s insurance), look at your policy — such policies, to the surprise of many people, […]
Russian Quarrel Over Kant’s Philosophy Leads to Shooting
RIA Novosti reports: A “passionate argument” about 18th-century Enlightenment philosopher Immanuel Kant, renowned for his treatises on ethics, “deteriorated into a fistfight” between two men waiting in line for beer during an outdoor City Day event in the southern Russian metropolis of Rostov-on-Don, police said Monday. The argument ended when one of the debaters pulled […]
A Sign of the Times
Competitive parenting anxiety dreams.
Censorship of Pro-Gay Movies in Russia
From the Hollywood Reporter: A Russian television movie channel has been sent an official warning for allegedly airing films that support same-sex relationships. Russia’s federal media oversight body, Roskomnadzor, on Thursday warned popular movie channel EvroKino after it aired 2007 French musical Les Chansons d’Amour (Love Songs). The agency said the film contains “propaganda of […]
State v. Brewington Oral Argument
I just returned last night from Indianapolis, where I had the honor and pleasure of arguing on behalf of amici in State v. Brewington; many thanks to the defendant’s lawyer, Michael Sutherlin, for agreeing to split his time with me, and both to Michael and his associate, Sam Adams, for all their help on the […]
Way Cool Maps, at RadicalCartography.Net
That’s RadicalCartography.Net, by Bill Rankin; click on “Projects.” What a lovely way to waste time!
Terry Jones, Koran-Burning, and Selective Prosecution — or Not
AP reports. Florida pastor was arrested Wednesday as he drove a pickup truck towing a large barbecue-style grill filled with kerosene-soaked Qurans to a park, where the pastor had said he was planning to burn 2,998 of the Muslim holy books — one for every victim of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Sheriff’s deputies […]
Illinois Supreme Court: Second Amendment Protects Carrying Outside the Home
From today’s unanimous decision in People v. Aguilar (Ill. Sept. 12, 2013): As the Seventh Circuit correctly noted, neither Heller nor McDonald expressly limits the second amendment’s protections to the home. On the contrary, both decisions contain language strongly suggesting if not outright confirming that the second amendment right to keep and bear arms extends […]
Megan McArdle on Women, Professional Education, Work and More
A characteristically well-written and thoughtful article; much worth reading. Thanks to InstaPundit for the pointer.
Is Money Speech?
The Federalist Society just released a 2½-minute video I wrote and narrated on this subject. (The video is part of a new Federalist Society project, and will likely be the first of many.) Many thanks to Ozymandias Media for its design work, and to Lee Otis, Tyler Lowe, and my coblogger Nick Rosenkranz for all […]