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Golden Gate University School of Law

Golden Gate University Law Review

Freedom of speech

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Long Live The King: United States V. Bagdasarian And The Subjective-Intent Standard For Presidential "True-Threat" Jurisprudence, Kyle A. Mabe Feb 2013

Long Live The King: United States V. Bagdasarian And The Subjective-Intent Standard For Presidential "True-Threat" Jurisprudence, Kyle A. Mabe

Golden Gate University Law Review

This Note argues that the Ninth Circuit found the proper balance between protecting speech and the President by interpreting the true-threats doctrine and the construction of presidential-threat statutes to require a subjective intent to threaten, in addition to one of the traditional objective standards for true threats. The application of a solely objective standard to threats against the President leads to unsettling results that punish speech without need. Harmless but misguided individuals have been held criminally responsible for ludicrous statements based on the sensitivities of the fabled “reasonable person,” regardless of the speakers’ actual motivations for their statements. More importantly, …


Sticks And Stones May Break Your Bones ... But Words May Break The Bank: Monetary Damages For 'True Threats' And The Future Of Free Speech After Planned Parenthood Of The Columbia/Willamette V. American Coalition Of Life Activists, Randall D. Nicholson Sep 2010

Sticks And Stones May Break Your Bones ... But Words May Break The Bank: Monetary Damages For 'True Threats' And The Future Of Free Speech After Planned Parenthood Of The Columbia/Willamette V. American Coalition Of Life Activists, Randall D. Nicholson

Golden Gate University Law Review

This Note is divided into five parts. Part I introduces the plaintiffs and defendants in Planned Parenthood and provides a detailed description of the content of the posters as well as the other evidence used to find the defendants liable for threatening speech. Part II presents a brief description of the details of, and impetus for, the enactment of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act ("FACE"), as the act provides the basis for liability. To highlight that the majority's position in Planned Parenthood did not comport with current First Amendment jurisprudence, Part III analyzes the major decisions handed …


Constitutional Law - Colacurcio V. City Of Kent, Zachary J. Dalton Sep 2010

Constitutional Law - Colacurcio V. City Of Kent, Zachary J. Dalton

Golden Gate University Law Review

In Colacurcio v. City of Kent, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that the City of Kent's Ordinance 3221, which required nude dancers to perform at least ten feet from patrons, did not violate the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. The court found that, as a matter of law, the Kent ordinance was content-neutral and the ten-foot distance requirement was narrowly tailored and left open ample alternative avenues for communication of protected expression.


A Pig In The Parlor: An Examination Of Legislation Directed At Obscenity And Indecency On The Internet, Andrew Spett Sep 2010

A Pig In The Parlor: An Examination Of Legislation Directed At Obscenity And Indecency On The Internet, Andrew Spett

Golden Gate University Law Review

The Internet, or ARPAnet, was originally developed by the U.S. Defense Department to support military research. As academics were invited to use the system, word of the system's research utility quickly spread. As the popularity of the computer increased, public consumer demand for access to the Internet increased. Consequently, the Internet quickly became a household word, no longer confined to government or academic circles. Currently, the Internet accommodates million users, and the numbers increase daily. In light of the expanse and growing importance of the Internet, this Comment will discuss the history and application of obscenity laws. This Comment will …


Standing Committee On Discipline V. Yagman: The Ninth Circuit Provides Substantial First Amendment Protection For Attorney Criticism Of The Judiciary, Jeffrey A. White Sep 2010

Standing Committee On Discipline V. Yagman: The Ninth Circuit Provides Substantial First Amendment Protection For Attorney Criticism Of The Judiciary, Jeffrey A. White

Golden Gate University Law Review

In Standing Committee on Discipline of the United States District Court for the Central District of California v. Yagman, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held that an attorney who publicly criticized a federal judge did not commit sanctionable conduct. In determining whether the attorney, Stephen Yagman, had violated a local rule of professional conduct for lawyers, the court applied a "reasonable attorney" standard, rather than a subjective malice standard. The court held that Yagman's statements, in light of this higher standard, did not violate the rule's prohibition against impugning the integrity of the court. The Ninth Circuit also held …


Protecting Children From Music Lyrics: Sound Recordings And "Harmful To Minors" Statutes, Jim Mccormick Sep 2010

Protecting Children From Music Lyrics: Sound Recordings And "Harmful To Minors" Statutes, Jim Mccormick

Golden Gate University Law Review

The tactic of including sound recordings in "harmful to minors" statutes is perhaps the most promising solution to the resilient problem of explicit music lyrics. Although the Washington law was found unconstitutional, many states have successfully included sound recordings in their own "harmful to minors" statutes. To appreciate this development, a legal and factual background must be discussed. Part II of this Comment summarizes the development of obscenity standards for minors in U.S. First Amendment law. Part III discusses some historic clashes between obscenity law and music. The Washington "Erotic Lyrics" Amendment and its constitutional problems are the subject of …


R. V. Butler: Recognizing The Expressive Value And The Harm In Pornography, Justine Juson, Brenda Lillington Sep 2010

R. V. Butler: Recognizing The Expressive Value And The Harm In Pornography, Justine Juson, Brenda Lillington

Golden Gate University Law Review

The recent Canadian Supreme Court decision of R. v. Butler recognizes and addresses the harmful anti-social attitudes and behaviors towards women which are perpetuated by misogynistic, violent pornography. Meanwhile, American courts continue to grapple with their traditional obscenity standard. This comment presents an overview of the American approach to regulating and categorizing pornography, and explores the obstacles this approach creates for addressing the issues of harm to women. The pivotal elements of the Butler court's analysis will be discussed in light of American decisions. The authors propose that a Butler analysis offers a more honest and balanced approach to the …


International Society For Krishna Consciousness, Inc. V. Lee: The Public Forum Doctrine Falls To A Government Intent Standard, Stephen K. Schutte Sep 2010

International Society For Krishna Consciousness, Inc. V. Lee: The Public Forum Doctrine Falls To A Government Intent Standard, Stephen K. Schutte

Golden Gate University Law Review

Since its inception, the public forum doctrine has maintained a byzantine existence. The Supreme Court has struggled to define the extent to which the First Amendment protects expressive activities in public places. Prior to developing a public forum doctrine, the Court used various means to limit government restrictions of expressive uses of public property. Since 1972, however, the Court has increasingly relied on categorical approaches to determine when members of the general public can use government-controlled property for communicative purposes.


Constitutional Law - Zal V. Steppe: Ninth Circuit Approval Of An In Limine Ban Of Specific Words, Kathleen K. Mcginn Sep 2010

Constitutional Law - Zal V. Steppe: Ninth Circuit Approval Of An In Limine Ban Of Specific Words, Kathleen K. Mcginn

Golden Gate University Law Review

No abstract provided.


Constitutional Law - United States V. Richey: Disclosure Of Tax Information By Former Irs Agent Not Protected By The First Amendment, Christine C. Pagano Sep 2010

Constitutional Law - United States V. Richey: Disclosure Of Tax Information By Former Irs Agent Not Protected By The First Amendment, Christine C. Pagano

Golden Gate University Law Review

No abstract provided.


Constitutional Law, Maureen Mullane Sep 2010

Constitutional Law, Maureen Mullane

Golden Gate University Law Review

No abstract provided.


Sexual Speech And The State: Putting Pornography In Its Place, Mary C. Dunlap Sep 2010

Sexual Speech And The State: Putting Pornography In Its Place, Mary C. Dunlap

Golden Gate University Law Review

This article reviews the wider legal, political and psychological consequences of the drive against "pornography". The concern of this article is that the "anti-pornography" campaign has serious and as-yet ill-considered implications for a broader category of communication, here termed "sexual speech".


The Expanded Role Of School Administrators And Governing Boards In First Amendment Student Speech Disputes: Bethel School District No. 403 V. Fraser, Phoebe Graubard Sep 2010

The Expanded Role Of School Administrators And Governing Boards In First Amendment Student Speech Disputes: Bethel School District No. 403 V. Fraser, Phoebe Graubard

Golden Gate University Law Review

At the close of the 1986 Term the United States Supreme Court issued an opinion which expanded the authority of school administrators and governing boards in the area of first amendment student speech disputes. In Bethel School District No. 403 v. Fraser, the Court held that school authorities could discipline a student for giving a speech during a high school assembly which contained a sexual innuendo. Bethel School District represents a new direction by the Supreme Court in analyzing student speech conflicts. The Court's opinion is a departure from a protective first amendment analysis to one which permits local governing …


Constitutional Law, Maria Mandolini-Astengo Sep 2010

Constitutional Law, Maria Mandolini-Astengo

Golden Gate University Law Review

No abstract provided.


New York V. Ferber: Compelling Extension Of First Amendment Infringement, Jon M. Bloodworth Iii Sep 2010

New York V. Ferber: Compelling Extension Of First Amendment Infringement, Jon M. Bloodworth Iii

Golden Gate University Law Review

This note seeks both to define the particular forms of expression involving juveniles which, according to the Court, do not warrant constitutional protection, and to question the Court's rationale in setting precedent which narrows the scope of the first amendment.