The First Amendment Rocks!

1. Situation Since the popular nighttime reality show “Cops” began in 1989, television shows aiming to expose criminals in their “natural habitats” have become a mainstream in the world. Shows like “Cops,” “To Catch a Predator,” and even “Dog the Bounty Hunter” (yes, I said it) have made a success out of filming their arrests […]

1. Facts This trial took place from February of 1972 till it was decided on June 29,1972. The facts of this case as listed on http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/Branzburg.html are that reporter Paul Branzburg witnessed the making and distributing of marijuana in Louisville, Kentucky of which he reported for the Courier-Journal. He used these unnamed sources in his articles […]

 A hypothetical situation  Imagine spending almost six months in jail away from family, friends and loved ones, as punishment for reporting and refusing to give your information to the government. Now see this as a choice, something that you intentionally decide to do in order to uphold a specific right of people all over the […]

1. Facts of Case The U.S. Supreme Court case of U.S. Department of Justice v. Reporter’s Committee for Freedom of the Press (1989) started in the District Court but was then taken to the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and finally to the Supreme Court where a decision was made March […]

Wilson v. Layne (1999) Situation: Since early American history, issues of unlawful searches and seizures have been a common and rising trend. However, the Fourth Amendment protects Americans from these unlawful searches and seizures. But what happens when those searches and seizures become public on a greater scale? If a search is lawful, is it […]

Wilson V. Layne (1999) 1. Facts of Case In the Supreme Court Case Wilson v. Layne , in May 24, 1999 the court looked at a case appealed in lower courts, thus sent to The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth District.  In April of 1992, the Circuit Court for Montgomery County issued […]

Millions of bits of information are collected and stored in files by the Federal Government. This information includes divorce papers, mortgage documents and banking history, as well as criminal arrest records. You are a reporter for the BG News and you hear rumors that a professor has sexually assaulted one of his students. You also […]

Someone asked in class about the Libby Sue Chumley case. She was the teen-aged girl pictured in an ad in TV Guide for an upcoming series on teen pregnancy. The ad said, “Guess what Lori found out today.” It then showed a diary that read, “Dear Diary: I found out today that I’m pregnant. What […]

Hustler Magazine, Inc. v. Falwell February 24, 1988 1. Facts of Case Hustler Magazine, Inc. v. Falwell http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/historics/USSC_CR_0485_0046_ZS.html February 24, 1988 A famous commentator and minister was parodied in hustler magazine having incestuous relations with his mother in an outhouse. He sued for libel and intentional emotional distress. He appealed the ruling and once again […]

Situation: Imagine you are a reporter for a television broadcasting station and in need of a story. You find out at a local fair an entertainer is going to perform an outstanding act that last only 15 seconds. You decide to attend the fair with a small video camera. As your walking around the fair […]