The New York Times reports: A group of men arrested in Denmark on Wednesday were about to mount a “Mumbai style” attack on the Danish newspaper that ignited Muslim fury around the world by publishing satirical cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in 2005, the head of the Danish Security and Intelligence Service said…. Prime Minister […]
Archive | Freedom of Speech
Illegal in New Hampshire to Repeatedly Use “Offensively Coarse Language” With the Purpose to Annoy
N.H. Stat. § 644-4 makes it a misdemeanor to, among other things, “[m]ake[] repeated communications at extremely inconvenient hours or in offensively coarse language with a purpose to annoy or alarm another.” In re Alex C. (N.H. Sup. Ct. Nov. 30) upheld the conviction of a minor for sending 20 instant messages in the span […]
Pedophile Guide Author Arrested on Obscenity Charge
The AP reports: A Colorado man who wrote a how-to guide for pedophiles [“The Pedophile’s Guide to Love and Pleasure: a Child-lover’s Code of Conduct”] is being transferred to Florida to face obscenity charges, after deputies there ordered a copy of the book that has generated online outrage…. If the book actually provides useful and […]
Bank Ordered to Take Down Religious Displays [UPDATE: The Order Has Now Been Revoked]
By Eugene Volokh on December 17, 2010 4:07 pm in "Hate Speech", Freedom of Speech, Religion and the Law, Religious Freedom
KOCO-TV reports, A small-town bank in Oklahoma said the Federal Reserve won’t let it keep religious signs and symbols on display. Federal Reserve examiners [who came for a regularly scheduled inspection visit] deemed a Bible verse of the day, crosses on the teller’s counter and buttons that say “Merry Christmas, God With Us.” … inappropriate. […]
The Chinese dictatorship’s reaction to the Nobel Peace Prize
I’ll be discussing the topic on NRA News tonight, at 11:40 Eastern Time. The program will remain available for replay at the website for a few days thereafter. In the meantime, please feel free to provide your own thoughts and analysis in the comments.
No Charges in Michigan for Burning Koran, Leaving it on Doorstep of Mosque the Night Before Sept. 11, 2010
The Lansing State Journal has details. (The decision not to charge the man happened in September, but I just heard about it now, and the newspaper apparently has extra details that weren’t available then.) The bottom line as to the charges: The man didn’t damage anyone else’s property. The Quran he burned was his own. […]
Blasphemy Prosecution in England
From the Guardian (UK): A 15-year-old girl has been arrested in the West Midlands on suspicion of inciting religious hatred after allegedly burning an English-language version of the Qur’an — and then posting video footage of the act on Facebook…. The incident comes just two and a half months after six people were arrested after […]
Probationer May Not Possess Material That “Contains Nudity or That Depicts or Alludes to Sexual Activity or Depicts Sexual Arousing Material”
The Eighth Circuit has just set aside such a probation condition, imposed as part of a sentence for being a felon in possession of a firearm (though (“[a]pparently because Kelly had two sexual assault convictions” in addition to the felon-in-possession conviction). As the court pointed out, judges have broad authority to impose probation conditions. This […]
Coming Hate Speech Prosecutions in New York?
Newsday reports: A group of teens spotted Sunday evening slapping up stickers along a Bellmore street [including on a lamp post and a Chamber of Commerce sign] could be charged with felonies for posting white supremacist messages and images …. One sticker, photographed and removed by police, reads “White Pride World Wide.” Another says “Don’t […]
Public School Changes Stance, Allows 13-Year-Old to Display American Flag on His Bicycle
By Eugene Volokh on November 15, 2010 6:15 pm in Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Speech at K-12 Schools
I blogged about the incident last week, when the school ordered the boy to remove the flag. Here’s the latest, from a letter posted on the Denair Unified School District site: As most of you are aware, we’ve had a school issue that has risen to the level of national news coverage. This incident occurred […]
Death Sentence for Blasphemy in Pakistan
By Eugene Volokh on November 12, 2010 3:07 pm in Blasphemy, Freedom of Speech, Religion and the Law, Religious Freedom
The Herald-Sun (Australia) reports: A Pakistani court has sentenced to death a Christian mother-of-five for blasphemy …. Pakistan has yet to execute anyone for blasphemy, but the case spotlights the Muslim country’s controversial laws on the subject … Asia’s case dates back to June 2009 when she was asked to fetch water while out working […]
Public School Orders Student to Take American Flag off His Bike
By Eugene Volokh on November 12, 2010 1:28 pm in Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Speech at K-12 Schools
[UPDATE: The school has now reversed its stance.] KSBW (Monterey, California) reports: Thirteen-year-old Cody Alicea put the [American] flag [on his bike] as a show of support for the veterans in his family. But officials at Denair Middle School told him he couldn’t fly it. He said he was told some students had complained…. [T]he […]
Unconstitutional to Require Registration and Disclosure for Any Committee Spending Over $200 to Support/Oppose a Ballot Measure
So held the Tenth Circuit on Tuesday in Sampson v. Buescher: Colorado law requires that any group of two or more persons that has accepted or made contributions or expenditures exceeding $200 to support or oppose a ballot issue must register as an issue committee and report the names and addresses of anyone who contributes […]
Racial Harassment Lawsuit Based on Teacher’s Reading Out Loud a Book About Slavery That Contained the Word “Nigger”
The Detroit News reports: The family of a former Warren Consolidated Schools fifth-grader is suing the district, claiming the African-American girl was the victim of racial discrimination when excerpts from a book about slavery [“From Slave Ship to Freedom Road” by Julius Lester] containing “outrageous statements” — including the N-word — were read aloud in […]
Ban on Words that “Humiliate,” “Insult,” or “Scare” Held Unconstitutionally Vague
From City of Greenville v. Bane, decided yesterday by the South Carolina Supreme Court: Appellant was convicted of violating a City of Greenville ordinance (the ordinance), entitled “Molesting, disturbing, or following persons,” which provides [in relevant part that “i]t shall be unlawful for any person to: … (3) Molest or disturb any person by the […]