http://www.abajournal.com/news/ en Copyright 2013 2013-05-24T20:59:07-06:00 http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/feds_secretly_got_warrant_for_fox_reporters_email_claiming_that_his_news-ga/ News that federal authorities had apparently looked at the personal email of the chief Washington correspondent for Fox News under a search warrant secretly obtained in a criminal investigation of his 2009 news-gathering activities elicited outrage Monday from media organizations and others. The warrant, which was both issued and unsealed… ABA Journal Production, Weekly Newsletter Stories, Constitutional Law, First Amendment, Criminal Justice, Executive Branch, Media & Communications Law, Trials & Litigation, Evidence, D.C. Circuit Court, States, District of Columbia Tue, 21 May 2013 06:50:54 -0500 44284.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/town_faces_lawsuit_for_requiring_citizens_to_own_firearms/ As debate intensifies nationally around gun-control measures, a small town north of Atlanta faces opposition to an ordinance that requires the head of every household to possess a gun and ammunition. The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence filed a federal lawsuit last week against Nelson, Ga., claiming the law,… Constitutional Law, First Amendment, States, Georgia Mon, 20 May 2013 16:02:25 -0500 44281.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/plans_for_brooklyn_da_news_series_bring_lawsuit_and_a_defense_lawyers_objec/ An election opponent of Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes isn’t happy about an upcoming news series about the DA’s office that will begin airing on May 28. Nor is a lawyer defending a landlord accused of manslaughter in a tenement fire. The six-part CBS series, Brooklyn D.A., offers a look… Constitutional Law, First Amendment, Criminal Justice, Prosecutors, Election Law, Law in Popular Culture Fri, 17 May 2013 09:16:54 -0500 44232.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/obama_has_worse_record_than_nixon_on_press_freedoms_says_pentagon_papers_la/ A lawyer who represented the New York Times in a successful fight to publish the Pentagon Papers says the Nixon administration was deeply distrustful of journalists, but the Obama administration has a worse record on press freedoms. James Goodale expressed his opinion after the… Attorney General, Constitutional Law, First Amendment, Media & Communications Law, Terrorism Wed, 15 May 2013 10:21:04 -0500 44191.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/can_children_be_protected_from_signs_with_photos_of_aborted_fetuses/ An anti-abortion protester who displayed large pictures of aborted fetuses outside a Denver church during an outdoor Palm Sunday ceremony says he is protected by the First Amendment. A cert petition in the case is pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, the New York Times reports.… Constitutional Law, First Amendment, Religious Law, U.S. Supreme Court Wed, 15 May 2013 05:40:01 -0500 44167.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/town_sues_robin_hood_citizen_group_known_for_feeding_parking_meters_says_it/ A New Hampshire town has sued a group of half-a-dozen citizens known as the Robin Hooders, contending that their harassment of parking enforcement officers could force the workers to quit if a court doesn't grant relief. Although the group feeds parking meters on behalf of strangers, the Keene suit says… Civil Rights, Constitutional Law, First Amendment, Government Law, Trials & Litigation, Evidence, States, New Hampshire Tue, 14 May 2013 16:40:29 -0500 44178.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/state_dept._tells_texas_law_student_to_take_down_web_blueprints_for_3-d_pri/ A University of Texas law student says he has complied but is reviewing his legal options after being ordered by the U.S. State Department to take down blueprints posted online that show how a 3-D printer can be used to create a plastic gun. Cody Wilson is a founder of… Constitutional Law, First Amendment, Executive Branch, Internet Law, Law Schools, States, Texas Fri, 10 May 2013 15:08:51 -0500 44136.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/cheerleaders_bible_banners_dont_violate_establishment_clause_judge_rules/ Bible-themed banners displayed by high-school cheerleaders do not violate the establishment clause, a Texas state judge has ruled. Judge Steven Thomas ruled on behalf of the Kountze High School cheerleaders on Wednesday, report the Associated Press, Reuters, the Houston Chronicle and a… Constitutional Law, First Amendment, Education Law, Religious Law, States, Texas Thu, 09 May 2013 07:30:31 -0500 44100.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/poster_rule_requiring_notice_of_union_rights_is_struck_down_by_d.c._circuit/ A federal appeals court has struck down a rule requiring employers to post a notice advising workers of their rights, including the right to form or join a union. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit struck down the rule in an opinion (PDF)… Constitutional Law, First Amendment, Labor & Employment, D.C. Circuit Court Wed, 08 May 2013 11:30:47 -0500 44088.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/federal_judges_strip_club_opinion_includes_photo_of_miss_wiggles_and_double/ A strip club dispute has led a federal judge to wax philosophical, quote a 1960s song, make frequent use of double entendre, and enlighten his readers about “Miss Wiggles.” “To bare, or not to bare, that is the question,” writes U.S. District Judge Fred Biery of San Antonio, who was… Constitutional Law, First Amendment, Judiciary Wed, 01 May 2013 07:52:06 -0500 43985.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/does_a_prisoner_have_a_right_to_a_mohel_stanfords_new_clinic/ Constitutional Law, First Amendment, Criminal Justice, Sentencing/Post Conviction, Recession, Religious Law, Opening Statements Wed, 01 May 2013 04:10:19 -0500 43788.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/postcard-only_jail_mail_policy_is_unconstitutional_federal_judge_rules/ A federal judge in Oregon has found that a suburban Portland jail's policy of allowing inmates to receive only postcards is unconstitutional, because it violates the First Amendment rights of both those who send and those who receive mail. While the ruling applies only to the Columbia County Jail, it… Constitutional Law, First Amendment, Criminal Justice, Sentencing/Post Conviction, Trials & Litigation, Verdicts & Settlements, 9th Circuit Court, States, Oregon Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:02:52 -0500 43939.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/appeals_court_oks_lawyers_fine_for_asserting_slapp_shield_against_tort_case/ A California law that offers lawyers a shield against tort claims concerning their litigation activities has been limited by a California appeals court and might even be eliminated entirely by a federal appeals court. The state's so-called anti-SLAPP statute is intended to offer an early exit for small parties targeted… Appellate Practice, Civil Rights, Constitutional Law, First Amendment, Consumer Law, Law Firms, Solos/Small Firms, Legal Ethics, Trials & Litigation, Verdicts & Settlements, 9th Circuit Court, States, California Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:23:56 -0500 43904.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/on_probation_for_manslaughter_in_childs_death_couple_again_relies_on_prayer/ Sentenced to 10 years of probation in 2011 after their toddler died of bacterial pneumonia, Herbert and Catherine Schaible were back in court again on Monday, following the death last week of an eight-month-old baby. By again relying on prayer instead of seeking medical treatment for their son, Brandon, the… Constitutional Law, First Amendment, Criminal Justice, Sentencing/Post Conviction, Health Law, States, Pennsylvania Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:58:48 -0500 43876.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/teen_14_arrested_after_refusing_to_remove_nra_t-shirt/ A West Virginia middle school student was arrested and pulled from school Thursday, accused of creating a disruption after he refused a teacher's demand that he remove a T-shirt that displayed the logo of the National Rifle Association and a rifle. Jared Marcum, 14, his stepfather and lawyer maintain the… Constitutional Law, First Amendment, Criminal Justice, Juvenile Justice, Education Law, States, West Virginia Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:14:57 -0500 43853.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/dean_sorry_for_censorship_of_college_papers_coverage_of_chief_justice/ A misunderstanding over the difference between how the high court's press office approaches news coverage as opposed to promotional materials is being blamed for a decision to censor a college newspaper's coverage of Chief Justice John Roberts and his visit to Lewis & Clark Law School earlier this month. Justice… Constitutional Law, First Amendment, Law Schools, Media & Communications Law Mon, 22 Apr 2013 06:30:56 -0500 43843.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/scotusblog_med_express_iron_tech_lawyer_competition_better_call_saul/ Last month, SCOTUSblog won a Peabody Award for excellence in electronic media–the first blog to ever do so. On Thursday, it announced that it had at long last, the Senate Press Gallery has granted its reporter Lyle Denniston a press credential. "The Supreme Court’s… ABA Journal, @BlawgWhisperer, Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Legal Marketing & Consulting, Legal Technology, Careers, Women in the Law, Constitutional Law, First Amendment, Law Schools, Law Students, Media & Communications Law Fri, 19 Apr 2013 08:29:59 -0500 43733.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/lawyer_sued_for_fake_nun_comment_wins_appellate_ruling_that_court_cant_deci/ Updated: A Chicago-based federal appeals court has ruled on behalf of a lawyer seeking to prove the truth of his comment that a woman was a “fake nun.” Sued for defamation, Indiana lawyer Kevin McCarthy produced a statement by the Holy See’s diplomatic mission to the United States that the… Constitutional Law, First Amendment, Religious Law, 7th Circuit Court Thu, 11 Apr 2013 08:42:44 -0500 43685.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/how_to_curb_costumed_characters_in_times_square_officials_cite_first_amendm/ The number of costumed characters in New York’s Times Square is growing, but city officials can do little to curb the furry population explosion. The arrest of a Cookie Monster character accused of tangling with a toddler over a tip has brought the issue into the spotlight. Council speaker and… Constitutional Law, First Amendment, Criminal Justice, Intellectual Property Law Thu, 11 Apr 2013 05:55:00 -0500 43668.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/florist_who_refused_to_provide_flowers_for_gay_wedding_is_sued_by_state_ag/ The attorney general of Washington state has sued a florist who refused to provide flowers for the wedding of a gay couple. Attorney General Bob Ferguson sued under provisions of the state’s Consumer Protection Act that bar discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, report the Seattle… Civil Rights, Constitutional Law, First Amendment, Consumer Law, Trials & Litigation Wed, 10 Apr 2013 11:57:16 -0500 43670.abajournal.com