free speech

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Judge to Twitter: Turn Over Writer's Protest Tweets

Malcolm Harris' tweets not protected speech, judge rules

(Newser) - Freewheeling speech on Twitter isn't the same as protected speech, a judge has ruled. In a decision with major repercussions for social media communication, a Manhattan criminal court judge has ordered Twitter to turn over tweets sent by a New York writer during Occupy Wall Street protests last fall....

KKK Asks ACLU for Help in Highway Case

Civil rights group considering protecting Klan's free speech

(Newser) - The Ku Klux Klan is turning to a surprise choice for help in its fight to sponsor a highway cleanup: the ACLU. And the civil rights group is considering taking the case, representatives tell the Guardian . Georgia refused the KKK's request to sponsor a portion of highway where members...

'Obscene' Zuma Painting Case Heads to Court

It 'presents me as a womanizer, philanderer,' says South African president

(Newser) - The ruling South African party is heading to court today to support President Jacob Zuma's demand that an "obscene" painting of him be censored. The painting, which was vandalized earlier this week at a Johannesburg gallery, features Zuma with his genitals exposed. It's "rude, crude, and...

ACLU Backs Girls Expelled for Facebook 'Death Threats'

Chat was just 'teenage banter,' says lawyer

(Newser) - Genuine death threats don't tend to come with "LOL" and a smiley face attached, notes the ACLU, which has filed a lawsuit on behalf of three expelled eighth-graders in Indiana. The 14-year-old girls were kicked out of school for a Facebook conversation in which they talked about which...

Board: Ax Marine Who Put Obama on Jackass Poster

General will make final decision on Sgt. Gary Stein

(Newser) - A military board has determined that a Marine sergeant committed misconduct and should be dismissed because he posted derogatory comments and Facebook photos of President Obama. Marine Sgt. Gary Stein launched a Facebook page called the Armed Forces Tea Party , in which he slammed Obama, violating Pentagon rules banning criticism...

School Caves, Lets Gay Kid Wear Banned T-Shirt for Day

Maverick Couch can proclaim 'Jesus Is Not a Homophobe'

(Newser) - Maverick Couch fought the man, and the man caved: The 16-year-old gay student, who sued his Ohio school for the right to wear a T-shirt emblazoned with "Jesus Is Not a Homophobe," will be allowed to wear it for a day. But it's a big day: The...

Student Sues to Wear 'Jesus No Homophobe' Shirt

Lambda argues Maverick Couch, 16, has constitutional shirt rights

(Newser) - A gay student is suing his Ohio high school for the right to wear a T-shirt saying "Jesus is not a homophobe." The Lambda legal organization filed the suit on behalf of Maverick Couch, 16, arguing the ban on the shirt violates his right to free speech, and...

PayPal Tells Publishers to Pull 'Obscene' E-Books

Remove controversial titles or else, booksellers told

(Newser) - PayPal is overstepping the bounds of its role as a payment processor by trying to ban e-books it deems obscene, publishers and free speech groups complain. At least three online publishers and booksellers received emails warning them that their accounts will be "limited" unless they pull titles "containing...

Should Fake Military Boasts Be a Crime?

They currently can be, and the Supreme Court will weigh in on the subject

(Newser) - Since 2006, lying about military valor—claiming to have received a prestigious medal, for instance—could result in prosecution. But that could change after this Wednesday, when the Supreme Court reviews the Stolen Valor Act. Proponents of the law, which include the Obama administration, say it prevents fraud. Such liars...

Arizona Bill Would Restrict Teachers' Speech

Proposed legislation would punish those who violate FCC standards

(Newser) - Arizona doesn't want its teachers cussing in class—and new proposed legislation would actually make it illegal to do so. GOP state lawmakers are behind Senate Bill 1467, which would require public school teachers to adhere to the FCC's TV and radio standards. That means certain limits on...

Twitter Caves, Will Restrict Tweets in Certain Countries

Move represents major policy switch

(Newser) - Twitter has apparently decided corporate relations are more important than content. Company officials have announced that they will voluntarily restrict Twitter content in specific countries to comply with government limits on what citizens are allowed to read. "As we continue to grow internationally, we will enter countries that have...

China Jails 2nd Writer for Subversion

Chen Xi was arrested last month after publishing his essays online

(Newser) - China handed yet another dissident yet another long sentence today: Chen Xi was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being charged with "incitement to subvert state power" following the online publication of 36 essays he had written. His wife called the verdict "utterly absurd," explaining that...

'Subversive' Chinese Writer Gets 9 Years in Prison

Chen Wei called for free speech, political reform

(Newser) - A Chinese writer has been hit with a nine-year jail sentence for "inciting subversion of state power" after he posted online essays demanding free speech and government reform, reports the BBC . The sentence follows a two-hour, closed-door trial that Chen Wei's wife called "a performance" whose outcome...

Occupy Los Angeles Protesters Can Avoid Trials...

...by taking a $355 class on free speech

(Newser) - To avoid court trials, all many arrested members of Occupy Los Angeles have to do is pay $355 … for a course on free speech. Protesters who opt to take this route will apparently learn that "the First Amendment is not absolute," as a city attorney explains, adding...

Judge: Blogger Is Not a Journalist

Woman ordered to pay $2.5M for online defamation

(Newser) - In what could end up being very bad news for outspoken bloggers across America, a federal judge has decided that a blogger was not acting as a journalist when she accused an Oregon lawyer of acting unethically and illegally as a trustee in a bankruptcy hearing. The judge denied Crystal...

Teen Tweeter Won't Apologize to Dissed Kan. Governor

'I raised my kids to be free thinkers,' says mom of Emma Sullivan

(Newser) - A Kansas teen who blasted her conservative governor in a tweet is refusing to apologize—even though she has been ordered to do so by her school. "Just made mean comments at Gov. Brownback and told him he sucked, in person #heblowsalot," Emma Sullivan, 18, tweeted to pals...

NPR Freelancer Canned for Joining Occupiers

Lisa Simeone hosted show on opera

(Newser) - A freelance radio host has lost her NPR World of Opera gig after an outcry over her involvement with a group affiliated with Occupy DC. Baltimore resident Lisa Simeone is acting as spokesperson for protesters under the October 2011/Stop the Machine banner; NPR responded to her involvement in a memo,...

UC Muslims Appealing Free-Speech Conviction

They got fines, community service for disrupting speech by Israeli ambassador

(Newser) - Ten Muslim students are appealing a conviction for disrupting a speech by an Israeli ambassador presented at a Unversity of California campus. The controversial case is seen as a test of the right to dissent. The students last year shouted out preplanned phrases to interfere with the ambassdor's speech...

'Psycho Ex-Wife' Blogger Battles Court to Keep Site

Judge tells divorced dad to take down 'cruel' blog

(Newser) - A dad who created a blog called " The Psycho Ex-Wife " to document his bitter divorce and custody battle is balking at a court order to take down the site or risk losing joint custody of his two sons. Anthony Morelli—whose descriptions of his ex-wife on the blog...

Law Bars Kid-Teacher Facebooking, Row Erupts

Missouri passes first major social media speech restriction

(Newser) - Missouri has passed a law barring private Facebook messages between children and teachers, and lots of people aren't happy about it. The first law of its kind in the nation will still allow messages easily viewed by the school community between teachers and children concerning assignments, but all exclusive...

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