Judicial campaign solicitation ban upheld by SCOTUS
A divided Supreme Court of the United States ruled that states can bar judicial candidates from personally soliciting campaign contributions, leaving intact bans in 30 states.
First Amendment
Articles
Nativity lawsuit brings new county ordinance
Franklin County Board of Commissioners approved a “public forum ordinance” this week in response to the ongoing lawsuit over a nativity scene displayed on the county’s courthouse lawn during the holiday season.
Justices appear to favor small church over sign law
The Supreme Court of the United States on Monday appeared likely to side with a small church in its fight with a Phoenix suburb over limits on roadside signs directing people to Sunday services.
Disputed Nativity scene will stay up until Dec. 26
A county in southeastern Indiana reached an agreement Friday with a group suing to force the removal of a Nativity scene on the courthouse lawn that will allow the decades-old display to remain in place through Christmas.
Judge delays hearing on Indiana Nativity scene
A federal judge has delayed a hearing on a bid to remove a Nativity scene that's been erected each winter for more than a half-century on a southeastern Indiana county's courthouse lawn.
First Amendment complaint filed against county for nativity scene
A nativity scene on the grounds of the Franklin County courthouse has become the subject of a federal lawsuit.
7th Circuit declines collateral-order review in infertility lawsuit
A Fort Wayne woman’s discrimination lawsuit against the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend will continue despite the Catholic Church’s attempt to get the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals to intervene before trial and dismiss the complaint on religious freedom grounds.
Justices weigh free speech rights, Facebook threats
The Supreme Court of the United States struggled Monday over where to draw the line between free speech and illegal threats in the digital age.
Attorney: reasoned discourse needed in Internet age
Wabash College grad David Kendall returns to alma mater as the keynote speaker at the school’s Public Discourse Summit.
Wabash alumnus calls for reasoned and thoughtful political speech
While the supporters of the Citizens United decision claim greater spending can energize the public to participate in the political process, First Amendment attorney David Kendall maintains the result has actually been less-thoughtful political speech and an influx of Congressional members who are more concerned with fundraising than setting policy.
DC attorney to discuss 1st Amendment and Internet at Wabash College summit
A Washington, D.C., attorney and Wabash College graduate will deliver the inaugural keynote address during the school’s Public Discourse Summit next week.
Judge: Yorktown’s door-to-door soliciting restriction unconstitutional
Yorktown’s ordinance forbidding door-to-door canvassing before or after daylight hours is unconstitutional, a federal judge ruled.
7th Circuit grants city, mayor’s request for stay
The doctrine of “pendent appellate jurisdiction” allows the city of Anderson to ask the District Court to stay proceedings in a case alleging city employees were fired because of political affiliation, ruled the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. The case against the city is directly tied to the result of the case against the city’s mayor.
Judge orders Indiana BMV to resume selling plates
The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles must resume issuing personalized license plates, a Marion County judge ordered Wednesday, but that doesn't mean it'll happen in the near future.
7th Circuit: Indiana’s marriage solemnization statute violates Constitution
Finding that Indiana’s statute specifying who many solemnize marriage “discriminates arbitrarily among religious and ethical beliefs,” the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the state must allow certified secular humanist celebrants to perform wedding ceremonies.
Nonprofits’ contraceptive cases next for justices
How much distance from an immoral act is enough? That's the difficult question behind the next legal dispute over religion, birth control and the health law that is likely to be resolved by the Supreme Court of the United States.
‘0INK’ vanity plate fight could go to Legislature
A fuss over a police officer's vanity plate has blown up into a constitutional debate that could lead to the Indiana General Assembly deciding whether to rewrite the law or stop selling personalized license plates altogether.
ACLU sues 2 Indy police officers over car sticker
An Indiana woman intended her bumper sticker reading "unmarked police car" as a joke, but two police officers didn't think it was funny. Now, they're being sued in federal court for allegedly violating the woman's free speech rights, and officials aren't laughing.
SCOTUS rules public union can’t make nonmembers pay fees
The Supreme Court dealt a blow to public sector unions Monday, ruling that thousands of home health care workers in Illinois cannot be required to pay fees that help cover the union's costs of collective bargaining.
Church lacks standing to appeal order preventing erection of crosses on city property
An Evansville church that sought to display multiple six-foot-tall crosses along the city’s public Riverfront cannot appeal the court order that prevents the city from allowing the display, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday.