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Wisconsin V. Mitchell: The End Of Hate Crimes Or Just The End Of The First Amendment, Lisa M. Stozek
Wisconsin V. Mitchell: The End Of Hate Crimes Or Just The End Of The First Amendment, Lisa M. Stozek
Northern Illinois University Law Review
This note examines Wisconsin v. Mitchell, wherein the United States Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution does not forbid "hate crime statutes" which lengthen the sentence of a criminal defendant for committing a bias-motivated crime. The author identifies a long line of First Amendment cases that are arguably contradictory to the Court's holding and examines the potential impact the decision's limit on free expression may have on society and free speech. The author concludes that while the Court's goal of suppressing hate crimes was admirable, the decision treads dangerously close to criminalizing speech and thought.
Commercial Speech Suffers A First Amendment Blow In United States V. Edge Broadcasting Co., Tara Lavery
Commercial Speech Suffers A First Amendment Blow In United States V. Edge Broadcasting Co., Tara Lavery
Northern Illinois University Law Review
This note examines the United States Supreme Court decision upholding the federal anti-lottery statutory scheme as constitutional under the First Amendment. The author contends that the Court disregarded precedent which established intermediate scrutiny as the standard of review when determining the constitutionality of restrictions on commercial speech. The Court utilized a mere rationality review, by deferring to legislative policies that at one time served an important interest, but no longer substantiate a complete ban on the free flow of truthful commercial information.