Law Commons^™

Rethinking Selective Enforcement In The First Amendment Context, Karl S. Coplan

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

This Note argues for the use of a balancing-of-interests approach in place of the current two-part test when enforcement policies are challenged on first amendment grounds. The Note begins by explaining the current two-part test and analyzing how it conflicts with other first amendment doctrines. Next, an inquiry into the development of current law reveals that the origins of both the selective prosecution defense and its motive requirement lie in equal protection review of administrative action. These roots suggest a defect in the application of an equal protection test in place of a direct application of the first amendment. The …