Donald Trump infamously said he was going to "open up the libel laws." First Amendment loving people pushed back -- even a lot of Trump supporters, or at least people who are not suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome. See, e.g., Is the First Amendment Safe from Donald Trump? We don't need to make it easier for public figures to sue the media. New York Times v. Sullivan and its progeny have given us a wide open and robust marketplace of ideas, which has withstood the test of time. That … [Read More...]
"Clock Boy" Gets His Clock Cleaned with Texas' Anti-SLAPP Statute
More than a year ago Ahmed Mohamed — later derisively known as "Clock Boy" — had a run-in with Texas school administrators and law enforcement. Your preconceptions may have driven your reaction. Was he a victim of insipid if-you-see-something-say-something culture, as my preconceptions suggested? Or was he part of a public relations stunt designed to[Read More…]
In a Crowded Field, University of Oregon Distinguishes Itself At Unprincipled and Lawless Censorship
The University of Oregon, a public institution, does not see itself as meaningfully bound by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, nor by any civic obligation to offer a minimally rational or persuasive explanation for why it is not bound. That cavalier attitude specially applies to the School of Law, an academy nominally[Read More…]
Popehat's 2016 Censorious Asshat of the Year: The City of Parma Police Department
The votes are in! At 1176 votes — an overwhelming 49.49% of all votes cast — Popehat's 2016 Censorious Asshat of the Year is the City of Parma Police Department, which I profiled in April 2016. Congratulations! Sort of. How did the police of a modest Ohio town beat out luminaries like Donald Trump and[Read More…]
There's A Pony Born Every Minute
Juda Parker 9:23 AM (22 hours ago) to me Hi There, I've been trying to get in touch with somebody in regards to learning about your site's advertising strategy – specifically how you're set up monetizing your site. My name is Juda and I work for Sovrn Holdings, which is a premium ad exchange that[Read More…]
Criticizing An Adverse Witness — Free Speech or "Retaliation"?
If you trash-talk a business and the owner sues you, the legal path is clear. You're protected by the First Amendment, indolent bloggers may write to support you, luminaries like Paul Alan Levy may get all up in your grill, and legislatures may pass laws to protect you. But what are your rights if you're[Read More…]
DC Appellate Court Hands Michael Mann A Partial Victory On Climate Change Libel Case
More than four years ago climate scientist Michael Mann sued the National Review, Mark Steyn, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, and Rand Simberg for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress, complaining that they wrongfully suggested he used fraudulent methods in framing his much-discussed "hockey stick graph" purporting to show an increase in global warming. Mann[Read More…]
Return of the Popehat Shirts
Popehat shirts are available again here, in three varieties, this time with text. They run a bit small. Enjoy.
Who Will Be Popehat's Censorious Asshat Of 2016?
With 2016 safely behind us, it's time for Popehat's annual Censorious Asshat of the Year contest! As always, only asshats we have written about are eligible. Candidates have been narrowed down through a process involving ennui, psychological trauma, and misanthropy. It's a rather weak lot this year, heavy on bluster and light on actual censoriousness:[Read More…]
Breaking: Very Stupid Idea Arises From Florida
A government lawyer in Florida would like courts to impose community service and forced speech on you if you're unpleasant, and a prominent Florida newspaper is taking it seriously. Wait. Taking it "seriously." No. "Taking it seriously." Shit. "Writing about it without open ridicule." There. The government lawyer is one Mikki Canton, "chief strategic adviser[Read More…]
The Prenda Saga Goes Criminal: Steele and Hansmeier Indicted On Federal Charges (Updated)
This is the latest post in the Prenda Law saga. More than three and a half years ago I started covering a copyright-troll firm called Prenda Law, which came to my attention because it was filing defamation suits against critics accusing it of wrongdoing. Rarely does the Streisand Effect so utterly annihilate a group of[Read More…]