Book People, Inc. v. Wong
The U.S. District Court issued an injunction on a Texas law that would require publishers and booksellers to assign ratings to certain books, which would they then be barred from selling to school libraries.
Category: U.S. District Court
Fayetteville Public Library v. Crawford County, Arkansas
The U.S. District Court granted a preliminary injunction blocking a law that would require booksellers and librarians to limit their books appropriate to all minors only or exclude all minors from their premises. Another provision on the law allows any person in Arkansas to demand the removal of a book that the person deems inappropriate.
Missouri State Conference of NAACP v. Wentzville School District
Some members of Media Coalition filed an amicus brief in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, in support of an ACLU and NAACP challenge to the removal of books from school libraries in the Wentzville School District. The brief argued that the books did not fit the definition of “harmful to minors.”
NetChoice v. Paxton
Media Coalition Foundation signed an amicus brief urging the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold the district court finding that the Texas law on social media censorship is unconstitutional.
NetChoice v. Attorney General, Florida
Media Coalition Foundation signed an amicus brief submitted in the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals arguing that a Florida law that bars the removal, labeling, hiding speech, or suspending of accounts on certain social media websites of candidates for elected office or on certain “journalistic enterprises.”
Higginbotham v. City of New York
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit dismissed Higginbotham’s First Amendment retaliation lawsuit against police officers who arrested him when he was filming an Occupy Wall Street arrest.
Tobinick v. Novella
Dr. Edward Tobinick sued Dr. Steven Novella, a professor at Yale University Medical School, for criticizing his unusual medical treatments that he provides at his clinics in Florida and California. In a blog post on his website “Science Based Medicine,” Novella called Tobinick’s clinic, the Institute of Neurological Recovery, a “quack clinic.” Novella also took issue that Tobinick used the anti-inflammatory drug Enbrel to treat Alzheimer’s disease, as reported by an article in the Los Angeles Times.
Animal Legal Defense Fund v. Wasden
Media Coalition Foundation joined an amicus brief urging the Ninth Circuit to uphold the lower court’s ruling that Idaho’s “ag-gag” law is unconstitutional.
Press Release: Louisiana’s Online Age-Verification Law Is Enjoined for Violating the First Amendment
Booksellers and publishers secured a preliminary injunction against a new Louisiana law that requires websites to age-verify every Internet user before providing access to non-obscene material that could be deemed harmful to any minor.
Press Release: Federal Court blocks Louisiana’s Online Age-Verification Law for Violating First Amendment
On Friday, October 7, 2016 Chief Judge Brian A. Jackson of federal district court signed an order permanently preventing Louisiana from enforcing a 2015 Louisiana law that required websites to age-verify every Internet user before providing access to non-obscene material that could be deemed harmful to any minor.
Garden District Book Shop v. Stewart
Media Coalition brought a lawsuit on behalf of some of its members and Louisiana booksellers and publishers challenging a law that required websites to age-verify every internet user before providing access to material that could be deemed “harmful to minors.”
Press Release: First Amendment Lawsuit Challenges Louisiana’s Online Age-Verification Law
Booksellers and publishers filed a federal lawsuit challenging a new Louisiana law that requires websites to age-verify every Internet user before providing access to non-obscene material that could be deemed harmful to any minor.
Antigone Books v. Brnovich
The U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona permanently ordered state prosecutors to halt enforcement of a law that criminalizes the distribution of a nude photo without the consent of the person depicted. The order approved a joint final settlement between the parties.
Press Release: Judge Halts Enforcement of Unconstitutional Nude Photo Law in Arizona
A federal court today permanently ordered Arizona state prosecutors to halt enforcement of a 2014 law restricting the display of nude images.
Prison Legal News v. Kane
The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania struck down a Pennsylvania law that allowed victims to stop conduct — including speech — by a convicted offender if it causes “mental anguish.”
Press Release: Prosecutors Will Not Enforce Arizona Anti-Nudity Law Pending Legislative Session, Lawsuit on Hold
CONTACT: David Horowitz, Media Coalition | 212-587-4025 x3 | horowitz@mediacoalition.org Josh Bell, ACLU national | 212-549-2666 | media@aclu.org Steve Kilar, ACLU of Arizona | 602-773-6007 | skilar@acluaz.org FOR...
Antigone Books v. Horne: Frequently Asked Questions
Some of our members, media organizations and local booksellers have filed a lawsuit challenging Arizona House Bill 2515, a law that criminalizes the distribution or disclosure of nude images without the consent of the person in the image. The lawsuit argues that H.B. 2515 violates the First Amendment because it criminalizes the distribution of constitutionally protected material.
Press Release: Arizona Criminal Law Banning Nude Images Violates First Amendment
A broad coalition of bookstores, newspapers, photographers, publishers and librarians filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging a new Arizona law that criminalizes speech protected by the First Amendment.
Press Release: State Concedes Law Restricting Marijuana Magazines is Unconstitutional and Agrees to Permanently Block Enforcement
The State of Colorado joined plaintiffs’ attorneys today in asking a federal judge to declare Colorado’s restrictions on marijuana-related magazines unconstitutional and to enter a permanent order blocking their implementation and enforcement.
Press Release: Bookstores, Newsstands and Bookseller Organizations Challenge Law Violating their First Amendment Rights and those of their Customers
Bookstores, newsstands and two bookseller organizations filed suit yesterday to block enforcement of a law that violates the First Amendment rights of retailers to display magazines that focus on marijuana and their customers’ right to browse those publications.
Tattered Cover, Inc. v. Brohl
The U.S. District Court struck down a Colorado law restricting the display of magazines whose focus is marijuana or the marijuana business.
Florence v. Shurtleff
The State of Utah agreed to a stipulated order that limited the scope of the state’s Internet “harmful to minors” law so that it does not apply to the posting of “harmful to minors” content on generally accessible websites.
American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression v. Sullivan
The U.S. District Court struck down Alaska’s application of its “harmful to minors” law to electronically transmitted speech and the state’s “harmful to minors” law, declaring both an unconstitutional restriction on the free speech rights of adults.
Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association
In striking down a California law that banned video games with violent content, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that all violent content is fully protected by the First Amendment for both adults and minors. The landmark ruling also set precedent that video games have the same First Amendment protection as other media. The 9th Circuit had previously ruled that the law’s labeling requirement is unconstitutional compelled speech and a content-based requirement.
American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression v. Coakley
The U.S. District Court found that a Massachusetts law that criminalized any electronic distribution of “harmful to minors” material was likely unconstitutional.
