US First Amendment guarantees for freedom of speech and press are fairly straightforward “black-letter law” — That is, they are so well settled in precedent and statute that they are no longer subject to reasonable argument.
And yet, this year and last, we have seen a raft of lawsuits apparently filed in the unlikely hope that the Trump administration’s dream of curtailing First Amendment rights will be endorsed by the courts. As Melissa Rosenberg of the Washington Post says: “Billionaires want to enlist you in their secret plans to take down the press.” For example:
Fake earthquake: Comedian John Oliver was sued by coal company owner Bob Murray on June 21, 2017. The libel suit alleged that Oliver “meticulously planned attempt to assassinate the character of … Mr. Murray.” (See Murray’s brief here). Murray filed a similar lawsuit in April over a New York Times editorial. (The Times response is here .) In both cases, Continue reading
