Free Speech
Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of Florida v. Raymond Rodrigues
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Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of Florida v. Raymond Rodrigues
Free Speech
Status: Ongoing
The University of Florida chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine filed a lawsuit on November 16, 2023, challenging the Chancellor of the State University System of Florida’s order to state universities to deactivate the student group. This order threatens the students’ constitutionally-protected right to free speech and association in violation of the First Amendment. The ACLU and its partners are seeking a preliminary injunction that would bar the Chancellor and the University of Florida from deactivating the UF SJP.
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Molina v. Book
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Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L.
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All Cases
122 Free Speech Cases
Pennsylvania Supreme Court
Feb 2024
Commonwealth v. Kurtz
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Status: Ongoing
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Pennsylvania Supreme Court
Free Speech
Privacy & Technology
Commonwealth v. Kurtz
“Reverse searches” are a novel surveillance technique where the police can obtain records reflecting everyone who used a search engine to look up a particular word or phrase. In this case, the lower court approved the police using a reverse search, ruling that people do not have a reasonable expectation of privacy for any query they enter into a search engine. The ACLU’s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project and State Supreme Court Initiative along with the ACLU of Pennsylvania filed an amicus brief in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court urging the court to reverse the lower court’s decision and hold that search history data is protected by the state and federal Constitution.
Feb 2024
Status: Ongoing
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Montana
Feb 2024
The Imperial Sovereign Court of the State of Montana v. Knudsen
On February 15, 2024, the ACLU and ACLU of Montana filed an amicus brief urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to leave in place an injunction against enforcement of a Montana law that infringes minors’ First Amendment rights by restricting their ability to attend drag performances.
Status: Ongoing
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Montana
Free Speech
LGBTQ Rights
The Imperial Sovereign Court of the State of Montana v. Knudsen
On February 15, 2024, the ACLU and ACLU of Montana filed an amicus brief urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to leave in place an injunction against enforcement of a Montana law that infringes minors’ First Amendment rights by restricting their ability to attend drag performances.
Feb 2024
Status: Ongoing
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Northern California
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Northern California
Free Speech
Privacy & Technology
Netchoice, LLC v. Bonta
This amicus brief highlights the constitutional defects of a California law that purports to protect consumer privacy but is actually an impermissible, content-based regulation of online speech. The brief urges that this law should be struck down while emphasizing that the court should rule narrowly and leave paths open for other consumer privacy laws to withstand First Amendment challenge.
Feb 2024
Status: Ongoing
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Free Speech
LGBTQ Rights
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On January 24, 2024, the ACLU and ACLU of Florida filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit supporting HM Florida-ORL, which operates the restaurant and bar Hamburger Mary’s in Orlando, in its lawsuit alleging that a Florida law infringes upon minors’ First Amendment rights by prohibiting them from attending drag performances.
Jan 2024
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U.S. Supreme Court
Jan 2024
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U.S. Supreme Court
Free Speech
National Rifle Association v. Vullo
On January 9th, 2024, the American Civil Liberties Union filed its opening brief on behalf of the National Rifle Association (NRA) in National Rifle Association v. Vullo, a key First Amendment case before the Supreme Court this term. The brief argues that a New York state regulator’s attempts to blacklist a nonprofit advocacy group and deny it access to financial services because of its controversial viewpoint violated the First Amendment. This is a critically important First Amendment fight: if government officials can pressure the businesses they regulate to blacklist the NRA in New York, then officials in other states can punish other advocacy organizations in the same way–including the ACLU itself.
Jan 2024
Status: Ongoing
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