First Amendment: Cases, Controversies, and Contexts

1196 Pages·2016·10.41 MB·English

by  Ruthann Robson

First Amendment:
Cases, Controversies, and Contexts

Ruthann Robson
Professor of Law & University Distinguished Professor

City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law

CALI eLangdell Press 2016
About
 the
 Author

Ruthann Robson is Professor of Law and University Distinguished
Professor at the City University of New York (CUNY) School of
Law.
Her books include DRESSING CONSTITUTIONALLY: HIERARCHY,
SEXUALITY, AND DEMOCRACY (2013); SAPPHO GOES TO LAW
SCHOOL (1998); GAY MEN, LESBIANS, AND THE LAW (1996); and
LESBIAN (OUT)LAW: SURVIVAL UNDER THE RULE OF LAW (1992).
She is also the editor of the three volume set, INTERNATIONAL
LIBRARY OF ESSAYS IN SEXUALITY & LAW (2011).
She is one of two editors of the Constitutional Law Professors
Blog and a frequent commentator on constitutional and sexuality
issues.
She is one of the 26 professors selected for inclusion in WHAT THE
BEST LAW TEACHERS DO (Harvard University Press, 2013).

Robson i The First Amendment
Notices

This is the first edition of this casebook, updated January 2016. Visit http://elangdell.cali.org/ for
the latest version and for revision history.
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Robson ii The First Amendment
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Robson ii i The First Amendment
Preface

This Casebook is intended to be used in an upper-division course covering
the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Its 14 chapters are substantially the same length, with the exception of
Chapter One, the introduction, and Chapters Eleven and Twelve which in
combination are the usual length. It is intended for 13 or 14 week semester
that meets once or twice per week. Each Chapter contains a “Chapter
Outline” at the beginning for ease of reference.
The Casebook is organized with the Speech Clauses as Part One and the
Religion Clauses as Part Two. Unlike many other courses, there is no
accepted organizational scheme within these broad areas. As the
Introduction notes, First Amendment doctrine, especially within freedom of
speech, presents a varied and haphazard landscape. The Casebook follows a
scheme that has proven effective in my years of teaching the course to
hundreds of students.
The selection of cases tends toward the most recent and these tend to be less
heavily edited. These recent cases often contain extended discussions of
earlier cases that are not included in the Casebook.
The excerpted cases and all cases in the Notes contain the official citation.
However, within the text of excerpted cases, the full citations of cases are
not included: only the case name and year appears the first time the case is
cited within the opinion. Moreover, case citations are not always indicated
by ellipses. When content is omitted, this is indicated by this symbol: ***.
This Casebook has been immeasurably improved by comments from my
students in First Amendment at CUNY School of Law, especially those in
the class in the Spring of 2015 when a “dry run” of the Casebook was used.
Their responses to my queries (e.g., “which 5 pages did you find least
helpful in this chapter?”), their engagement with the materials and original
contributions, as well as their notations of typographical errors, are deeply
appreciated.

Robson iv The First Amendment
Table
 of
 Contents

About
 the
 Author
 .......................................................................................................................
 i

Notices
 ........................................................................................................................................
 ii

About
 CALI
 eLangdell
 Press
 ................................................................................................
 iii

Preface
 .......................................................................................................................................
 iv

Chapter
 One:
 INTRODUCTION
 TO
 THE
 FIRST
 AMENDMENT
 .....................................
 1

I.

  Text
 ................................................................................................................................................
 1

II.

  The
 Clauses
 ................................................................................................................................
 1

A.
  The
 Religion
 Clauses
 ..............................................................................................................................
 1

B.

  The
 Free
 Speech
 Clause
 .......................................................................................................................
 2

C.
  The
 Press
 Clause
 ......................................................................................................................................
 2

D.
  The
 Assembly
 Clause
 .............................................................................................................................
 2

E.

  The
 Petition
 Clause
 ................................................................................................................................
 2

F.
  Association:
 The
 “Missing”
 Clause
 ...................................................................................................
 3

III.
  International
 Perspectives
 ..................................................................................................
 3

IV.
  State
 Action
 and
 Incorporation
 Against
 the
 States
 ......................................................
 6

V.
  History:
 The
 Firstness
 of
 the
 First
 Amendment
 .............................................................
 7

VI.
  Theoretical
 Perspectives
 ......................................................................................................
 8

VII.
  The
 Challenges
 of
 First
 Amendment
 Cases
 and
 Controversies
 ..............................
 9

VIII.
  United
 States
 Supreme
 Court
 Terms:
 Recent
 Cases
 ...............................................
 11

2014-­‐2015
 Term
 ...........................................................................................................................................
 11

2013-­‐2014
 Term
 ...........................................................................................................................................
 12

Part
 I:

 The
 Speech
 Clauses
 ................................................................................................
 13

Chapter
 Two:
 PROTECTIONS
 FOR
 POLITICAL
 SPEECH
 .............................................
 14

I.
  The
 Alien
 and
 Sedition
 Acts
 .................................................................................................
 15

The
 Alien
 Act:
 An
 Act
 Respecting
 Alien
 Enemies
 ................................................................................................
 15

The
 Sedition
 Act:
 An
 Act
 in
 Addition
 to
 the
 Act,
 Entitled
 "An
 Act
 for
 the
 Punishment
 of
 Certain

Crimes
 Against
 the
 United
 States”
 ............................................................................................................................
 16

Notes
 ......................................................................................................................................................................................
 17

II.
  Clear
 and
 Present
 Dangers
 .................................................................................................
 18

A.
  The
 Challenge
 of
 World
 War
 I
 ........................................................................................................
 18

Schenck
 v.
 United
 States
 ................................................................................................................................................
 18

Abrams
 v.
 United
 States
 ................................................................................................................................................
 20

Note:
 Justice
 Oliver
 Wendell
 Holmes
 .......................................................................................................................
 25

Gitlow
 v.
 New
 York
 ..........................................................................................................................................................
 25

Whitney
 v.
 California
 ......................................................................................................................................................
 31

Notes
 ......................................................................................................................................................................................
 39

B.
  Labor
 Unrest
 ..........................................................................................................................................
 40

Bridges
 v.
 California
 ........................................................................................................................................................
 40

C.
  Communism
 and
 the
 Smith
 Act
 ......................................................................................................
 43

Dennis
 v.
 United
 States
 ..................................................................................................................................................
 43

Notes
 ......................................................................................................................................................................................
 55

Robson v The First Amendment
III.
 “Offensive”
 Speech
 ...................................................................................................................
 55

Chaplinsky
 v.
 New
 Hampshire
 ....................................................................................................................................
 55

Cohen
 v.
 California
 ...........................................................................................................................................................
 57

Notes
 ......................................................................................................................................................................................
 62

IV.
  Distinguishing
 Protected
 Advocacy
 ...............................................................................
 63

Brandenburg
 v.
 Ohio
 .......................................................................................................................................................
 63

Hess
 v.
 Indiana
 ...................................................................................................................................................................
 66

Notes
 ......................................................................................................................................................................................
 69

Note:
 The
 Heckler’s
 Veto
 ...............................................................................................................................................
 69

V.

 “Political”
 Speech
 in
 the
 Age
 of
 “Terrorism”
 ...............................................................
 70

Holder
 v.
 Humanitarian
 Law
 Project
 ......................................................................................................................
 70

Notes
 ......................................................................................................................................................................................
 87

Chapter
 Three:
 OF
 CONDUCT,
 CONTENT,
 AND
 CATEGORIES
 ..................................
 88

I.

  Defining
 Expression
 ..............................................................................................................
 89

United
 States
 v.
 O’Brien
 .................................................................................................................................................
 89

Spence
 v.
 Washington
 ....................................................................................................................................................
 93

Texas
 v.
 Johnson
 ................................................................................................................................................................
 98

Notes
 ...................................................................................................................................................................................
 107

II.
  Hate
 Speech
 ...........................................................................................................................
 109

R.A.V.
 v.
 St.
 Paul
 ..............................................................................................................................................................
 109

Wisconsin
 v.
 Mitchell
 ...................................................................................................................................................
 120

Virginia
 v.
 Black
 .............................................................................................................................................................
 124

Notes
 ...................................................................................................................................................................................
 139

Note:
 “True
 Threats”
 ....................................................................................................................................................
 140

III.
  Considering
 “Content”
 in
 the
 Context
 of
 the
 Military
 .............................................
 142

Schacht
 v.
 United
 States
 .............................................................................................................................................
 142

United
 States
 v.
 Alvarez
 ..............................................................................................................................................
 144

Notes
 ...................................................................................................................................................................................
 156

Note:
 Developing
 a
 Structural
 Analysis
 of
 Free
 Speech
 Issues
 ..................................................................
 157

Chapter
 Four:
 THE
 SPECIAL
 (OR
 NOT)
 STATUS
 OF
 THE
 PRESS
 ..........................
 158

I.
  Prior
 Restraint
 .......................................................................................................................
 159

Near
 v.
 Minnesota
 .........................................................................................................................................................
 159

New
 York
 Times
 Co.
 v.
 United
 States
 ....................................................................................................................
 164

Notes
 ...................................................................................................................................................................................
 167

II.
  The
 Press
 as
 Guardian
 of
 the
 Public’s
 Right
 to
 Know?
 ............................................
 169

A.
  The
 Press
 v.
 Criminal
 Defendants
 ..............................................................................................
 169

Sheppard
 v.
 Maxwell
 ....................................................................................................................................................
 169

Nebraska
 Press
 Assn.
 v.
 Stuart
 ................................................................................................................................
 181

Notes
 ...................................................................................................................................................................................
 188

B.
  The
 Press
 as
 a
 Party
 in
 Civil
 Litigation
 ....................................................................................
 189

Seattle
 Times
 Co.
 v.
 Rhinehart
 .................................................................................................................................
 189

C.
  Access
 by
 the
 Press
 ...........................................................................................................................
 194

Note:
 “Public
 Proceedings”
 .......................................................................................................................................
 194

Houchins
 v.
 KQED,
 Inc.
 ................................................................................................................................................
 195

Notes
 ...................................................................................................................................................................................
 205

D.

  (Un)lawful
 Information
 .................................................................................................................
 206

Note:
 Bartnicki
 v.
 Vopper
 ..........................................................................................................................................
 206

E.

  Reporters’
 “privilege”
 .....................................................................................................................
 207

Branzburg
 v.
 Hayes
 ......................................................................................................................................................
 207

Cohen
 v.
 Cowles
 Media
 Co.
 .........................................................................................................................................
 211

Notes
 ...................................................................................................................................................................................
 214

III.
  Direct
 Regulations
 of
 the
 Press
 .....................................................................................
 215

Robson v i The First Amendment
The
 Florida
 Star
 v.
 B.
 J.
 F
 ............................................................................................................................................
 215

Miami
 Herald
 Publishing
 Co.
 v.
 Tornillo
 .............................................................................................................
 219

Notes
 ...................................................................................................................................................................................
 223

Note:
 Taxation
 of
 the
 Press
 .......................................................................................................................................
 224

IV.
  Freedom
 of
 the
 Press
 and
 Tort
 Actions
 .......................................................................
 225

A.
  Defamation
 ..........................................................................................................................................
 225

New
 York
 Times
 Co.
 v.
 Sullivan
 ...............................................................................................................................
 225

Gertz
 v.
 Robert
 Welch,
 Inc.
 ........................................................................................................................................
 234

Notes
 ...................................................................................................................................................................................
 243

B.

  Other
 Torts
 .........................................................................................................................................
 245

Time,
 Inc.
 v.
 Hill
 ..............................................................................................................................................................
 245

Hustler
 Magazine
 v.
 Falwell
 .....................................................................................................................................
 249

Notes
 ...................................................................................................................................................................................
 254

Chapter
 Five:
 GOVERNMENT
 AS
 EMPLOYER
 AND
 EDUCATOR
 ............................
 255

I.
  The
 Politics
 of
 Public
 Employment
 .................................................................................
 256

Civil
 Service
 Commission
 v.
 National
 Association
 of
 Letter
 Carriers
 ......................................................
 256

Branti
 v.
 Finkel
 ...............................................................................................................................................................
 263

Notes
 ...................................................................................................................................................................................
 272

II.
  Protecting
 Public
 Employee
 Speech
 ..............................................................................
 273

A.
  Foundational
 Tests
 ...........................................................................................................................
 273

Pickering
 v.
 Board
 of
 Education
 of
 Township
 High
 School
 District
 205,
 Will
 County,
 Illinois
 ....
 273

Mt.
 Healthy
 City
 Board
 of
 Ed.
 v.
 Doyle
 ..................................................................................................................
 280

Notes
 ...................................................................................................................................................................................
 284

B.
  Applying
 and
 modifying
 the
 tests
 ..............................................................................................
 285

Givhan
 v.
 Western
 Line
 Consol.
 School
 Dist.
 ......................................................................................................
 285

Connick
 v.
 Myers
 ............................................................................................................................................................
 286

Rankin
 v.
 McPherson
 ...................................................................................................................................................
 295

San
 Diego
 v.
 Roe
 .............................................................................................................................................................
 302

Notes
 ...................................................................................................................................................................................
 305

C.
  Public
 Employee
 Speech
 in
 the
 Roberts
 Court
 .....................................................................
 306

Garcetti
 v.
 Ceballos
 .......................................................................................................................................................
 306

Lane
 v.
 Franks
 .................................................................................................................................................................
 317

Notes
 ...................................................................................................................................................................................
 323

III.

  Student
 Speech
 ...................................................................................................................
 324

Tinker
 v.
 Des
 Moines
 Independent
 Community
 School
 District
 ................................................................
 324

Bethel
 School
 District
 No.
 403
 v.
 Fraser
 ..............................................................................................................
 331

Hazelwood
 School
 District
 v.
 Kuhlmeier
 .............................................................................................................
 337

Morse
 v.
 Frederick
 .........................................................................................................................................................
 343

Notes
 ...................................................................................................................................................................................
 352

Note:
 Curriculum
 ...........................................................................................................................................................
 353

Chapter
 Six:
 UNCONSTITUTIONAL
 CONDITIONS
 AND
 COMPELLED
 SPEECH
 ..
 354

I.
  Unconstitutional
 Conditions
 and
 Speech
 ......................................................................
 355

Rust
 v.
 Sullivan
 ...............................................................................................................................................................
 355

Legal
 Services
 Corporation
 v.
 Velazquez
 ............................................................................................................
 364

Notes
 ...................................................................................................................................................................................
 372

II.
  Compelled
 Speech
 ...............................................................................................................
 373

A.
  Foundational
 Cases
 of
 Compelled
 Speech
 ..............................................................................
 373

West
 Virginia
 Board
 of
 Education
 v.
 Barnette
 .................................................................................................
 373

Wooley
 v.
 Maynard
 .......................................................................................................................................................
 381

Notes
 ...................................................................................................................................................................................
 385

B.

  Fees
 and
 Dues
 ....................................................................................................................................
 385

Keller
 v.
 State
 Bar
 of
 California
 ..............................................................................................................................
 385

Robson vi i The First Amendment
Board
 of
 Regents
 of
 the
 University
 of
 Wisconsin
 System
 v.
 Southworth
 ...............................................
 389

Johanns
 v.
 Livestock
 Marketing
 Ass’n
 ...................................................................................................................
 393

Harris
 v.
 Quinn
 ...............................................................................................................................................................
 397

Notes
 ...................................................................................................................................................................................
 416

C.
  Compelled
 Speech
 and
 Association
 ...........................................................................................
 417

Hurley
 v.
 Irish-­‐American
 Gay,
 Lesbian
 &
 Bisexual

 Group
 of
 Boston
 ......................................................
 417

Boy
 Scouts
 of
 America
 v.
 Dale
 ..................................................................................................................................
 422

Notes
 ...................................................................................................................................................................................
 436

III.
  Combining
 Unconstitutional
 Conditions
 and
 Compelled
 Speech
 ......................
 437

Rumsfeld
 v.
 Forum
 for
 Academic
 and
 Institutional
 Rights,
 Inc.
 ...............................................................
 437

Agency
 for
 International
 Development
 v.
 Alliance
 for
 Open
 Society
 International,
 Inc.
 ...............
 444

Notes
 ...................................................................................................................................................................................
 452

Chapter
 Seven:
 FORUMS
 AND
 TIME,
 PLACE,
 MANNER
 RESTRICTIONS
 ............
 454

I.
  Historical
 Perspectives
 on
 Public
 Assembly
 and
 Public
 Forums
 ..........................
 455

Note:
 The
 Assembly
 Clause
 ........................................................................................................................................
 455

Davis
 v.
 Commonwealth
 of
 Massachusetts
 .........................................................................................................
 456

Hague
 v.
 Committee
 for
 Industrial
 Organization
 [CIO]
 ...............................................................................
 457

Notes
 ...................................................................................................................................................................................
 460

II.
  Public
 and
 Other
 Forums
 ..................................................................................................
 461

Southeastern
 Promotions,
 Ltd.
 v.
 Conrad
 ...........................................................................................................
 461

Perry
 Education
 Assn.
 v.
 Perry
 Local
 Educators'
 Assn.
 .................................................................................
 468

Notes
 ...................................................................................................................................................................................
 475

Christian
 Legal
 Society
 Chapter
 of
 the
 University
 of
 California,
 Hastings
 College
 of
 the
 Law
 v.

Martinez
 ............................................................................................................................................................................
 476

Notes
 ...................................................................................................................................................................................
 490

Note:
 Trespassing
 in
 a
 Public
 Forum?
 ..................................................................................................................
 491

III.
  Time,
 Place,
 or
 Manner
 ....................................................................................................
 493

Ward
 v.
 Rock
 Against
 Racism
 ..................................................................................................................................
 493

McCullen
 v.
 Coakley
 ......................................................................................................................................................
 503

Notes
 ...................................................................................................................................................................................
 522

Note:
 Funeral
 Protests
 ................................................................................................................................................
 522

IV.
 The
 Distinct
 Problems
 Posed
 by
 Signage
 Regulations
 ...............................................
 524

City
 Council
 v.
 Taxpayers
 for
 Vincent
 ...................................................................................................................
 524

Reed
 v.
 Town
 of
 Gilbert
 ...............................................................................................................................................
 532

Notes
 ...................................................................................................................................................................................
 546

V.
 The
 “Escape
 Clause”
 of
 Government
 Speech
 ...................................................................
 546

Pleasant
 Grove
 City
 v.
 Summum
 .............................................................................................................................
 546

Walker
 v.
 Texas
 Division,
 Sons
 of
 Confederate
 Veterans
 .............................................................................
 556

Notes
 ...................................................................................................................................................................................
 568

Chapter
 Eight:
 THE
 POLITICAL
 PROCESS
 ...................................................................
 570

I.
  Anonymity
 and
 Political
 Life
 .............................................................................................
 571

NAACP.
 v.
 Alabama
 .......................................................................................................................................................
 571

McIntyre
 v.
 Ohio
 Elections
 Comm'n
 .......................................................................................................................
 576

Watchtower
 Bible
 &
 Tract
 Society
 of
 New
 York,
 Inc.
 v.
 Village
 of
 Stratton
 ........................................
 585

Doe
 v.
 Reed
 .......................................................................................................................................................................
 594

Notes
 ...................................................................................................................................................................................
 607

II.
  Campaign
 Finance
 ...............................................................................................................
 608

Note:
 Timeline
 of
 First
 Amendment
 Campaign
 Finance
 Cases
 .................................................................
 610

Note:
 Buckley
 v.
 Valeo
 .................................................................................................................................................
 613

Citizens
 United
 v.
 Federal
 Election
 Commission
 ..............................................................................................
 615

McCutcheon
 v.
 Federal
 Election
 Commission
 ....................................................................................................
 623

Note:
 “Dark
 Money”
 Anonymity,
 Disclosure,
 and
 Campaign
 Finance
 ....................................................
 652

Robson vi ii The First Amendment