Articles

Phone sex operator wins partial victory on appeal

A former phone sex operator who sued the government after she was allegedly fired from a National Guard volunteer position has won partial victory at the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, which found that a book the woman wrote about her phone sex conversations was “clearly protected speech.”

Read More

Honoring the honorable: Marshall added, Dred Scott author removed from Southern District mural

Chief Justice Roger B. Taney, arguably best known for authoring the notorious 1857 majority opinion in Dred Scott v. Sanford, used to be featured in an Indiana Southern District Court mural. But his name was recently replaced with “Marshall,” representing longest-serving Chief Justice John Marshall and Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall, the court’s first African-American justice.

 

Read More

C-SPAN founder Brian Lamb honored in Indianapolis

For his work in founding and developing C-SPAN, the cable network that gives Americans a front row seat to their government, Indiana native and Purdue University alumnus Brian Lamb was honored Monday by the Benjamin Harrison President Site with the 2019 Advancing American Democracy Award.

Read More

Justice Department supports archdiocese’s right to fire teacher in same-sex marriage

The U.S. Justice Department filed a statement in court Friday saying the Archdiocese of Indianapolis was within its rights when it fired a Cathedral High School teacher in a same-sex marriage. The Justice Department’s so-called “statement of interest” said the First Amendment prevents courts from impairing the constitutional rights of religious institutions.

Read More

Indiana bus driver sues school district in free speech suit

A central Indiana school bus driver is suing the district that employs him, alleging his First Amendment rights were violated when he was suspended after speaking out against proposed changes that would have forced some children to travel further to attend school. The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana filed the federal lawsuit last month on behalf of Madison-Grant United School Corp. bus driver James “Randy” Sizelove.

Read More

Despite state’s ‘negligence or malice,’ court denies ballot-access injunction

An Indianapolis resident who wanted to add his name to the November mayoral ballot cannot do so now that a federal judge has upheld a finding by the Marion County Election Board that the would-be candidate failed to acquire enough legitimate voter signatures. However, the court also raised concerns about language on a candidate form that could make it “more difficult for voters to support independent candidates,” yet found the language was not enough of a burden to overrule the board’s decision.

Read More