Jake Wunsch
MLRC executive director has questions on what the new year will bring in law, politics, sport, entertainment, and whether his column might benefit from an AI assist.
Questions and Predictions for ’24
MLRC executive director has questions on what the new year will bring in law, politics, sport, entertainment, and whether his column might benefit from an AI assist.
Dismissal of Golfer’s Defamation Suit and Fee Award Tees Up 11th Circuit’s Consideration of Anti-SLAPP in Federal Court
The availability of Florida anti-SLAPP protection in federal court is teed up for resolution by the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals following the award of sanctions to media defendants who prevailed on claims by professional golfer Patrick Reed.
PEN America, Penguin Random House First Amendment Lawsuit Over Book Removal Moves Forward
The lawsuit challenges the removal and restriction of books from school libraries on First Amendment free speech and Fourteenth Amendment equal protection grounds.
2023: A Year in Prior Restraints
Freedom of the Press Foundation’s U.S. Press Freedom Tracker documented 11 prior restraints against journalists in 2023 (plus an 12th issued in January 2024) — the highest number since it began tracking them in 2017.
Lawsuit Over Alleged CIA Spying on Assange Visitors May Proceed in Part
Four Americans may now proceed with their lawsuit against the Central Intelligence Agency for allegedly copying data from their devices while visiting Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.
Virginia Media Win Access to Report on School Shooting
The Circuit Court held that the Virginia Freedom of Information Act required disclosure of a school board’s investigation report into a graduation shooting even though a law firm conducted the investigation and prepared the report.
Ohio Supreme Court Finds Amusement Park’s Private Police Force Is Subject to Public Records Law
The television stations’ requests first required analysis of a novel issue under Ohio law: whether a private police department created pursuant to a city ordinance and by agreement between the amusement park and the city was subject to Ohio’s Public Records Act.
It’s “OK” To Call a Police Officer Racist
The court had little trouble concluding that the allegedly offending statements were opinion protected under Ohio law.
New Jersey Appellate Division Affirms Dismissal of Defamation Claims Against Prominent Local Blogger
The decision capped a long and winding case that ended up providing speech-friendly precedents on a number of valuable topics.
New York Times Awarded Nearly $400,000 in Trump Suit
The decision arose from a lawsuit alleging that The Times had engaged in tortious interference by persuading Mr. Trump’s niece, Mary, to provide family financial documents to the reporters despite a confidentiality agreement that Mary and other family members had entered into as part of a settlement of an estate dispute.