A public employer may choose not to hire a particular applicant for a nonpartisan position because of the applicant’s history of partisan political activity. This is an appropriate exception to the general rule that public employers may not make employment decisions on the basis of protected 1st amendment activities. However, an applicant’s political affiliation and the applicant’s history of partisan activities are two distinct considerations. Albers-Anders v. Pocan, 905 F. Supp. 2d 944 (2012). The 1st amendment accommodates reasonable restrictions on the time, place, and manner of speech as long as they are: 1) content-neutral; 2) narrowly tailored to serve a significant government interest; and 3) leave open ample alternative channels for communication of the information. Even content-neutral regulations may not condition speech on obtaining a license or permit from a government official in that official’s boundless discretion. An acceptable regulation must contain adequate standards to guide the official’s decision and render it subject to effective judicial review. Candy Lab Inc. v. Milwaukee County, 266 F. Supp. 3d 1139 (2017). Constitutional Law: Testimonial Privilege of Newsmen. Baxter. 55 MLR 184 (1972).
Constitutional Law: Academic Freedom: Some Tentative Guidelines. Keith. 55 MLR 379 (1972).
Constitutional Law—First Amendment—Protection of Commercial Speech. Lohmann. 60 MLR 138 (1976).
Zurcher: Third Party Searches and Freedom of the Press. Cantrell. 62 MLR 35 (1978).
A Newspaper Cannot Constitutionally Be Compelled to Publish a Paid Advertisement Designed to Be an Editorial Response to Previous Newspaper Reports. Layden. 64 MLR 361 (1980).
Granting Access to Private Shopping Center Property for Free Speech Purposes on the Basis of a State Constitutional Provision Does Not Violate the Shopping Center Owner’s Federal Constitutional Property Rights or First Amendment Free Speech Rights. Munroe. 64 MLR 507 (1981).
The First Amendment and Freedom of the Press: A Revised Approach to the Marketplace of Ideas Concept. Garry. 72 MLR 187 (1989).
Zoning Law: Architectural Appearance Ordinances and the First Amendment. Rice. 76 MLR 439 (1993).
Hate Crimes—New Limits on the Scope of First Amendment Protection? Resler. 77 MLR 415 (1994).
Improving the Odds of the Central Hudson Balancing Test: Restricting Commercial Speech as a Last Resort. Gollin. 81 MLR 873 (1998).
Social Media Use and Viewpoint Discrimination: A First Amendment Judicial Tightrope Walk with Rights and Risks Hanging in the Balance. Hidy. 102 MLR 1045 (2019).
A Researcher-Subject Testimonial Privilege: What to do Before the Subpoena Arrives. Nejelski & Lerman. 1971 WLR 1085.
Of Shadows and Substance: Freedom of Speech, Expression, and Action. Himes. 1971 WLR 1209.
Constitutional Law—Free Speech on Premises of Privately Owned Shopping Center. Felsenthal. 1973 WLR 612.
Constitutional Protection of Critical Speech and the Public Figure Doctrine: Retreat by Reaffirmation. Backer. 1980 WLR 568.
Corporate “Persons” and Freedom of Speech: The Political Impact of Legal Mythology. Patton & Bartlett. 1981 WLR 494.
Lamb’s Chapel v. Center Moriches Union Free School District: Creating Greater Protection for Religious Speech Through the Illusion of Public Forum Analysis. Ehrmann. 1994 WLR 965.
Behind the Curtain of Privacy: How Obscenity Law Inhibits the Expression of Ideas About Sex and Gender. Peterson. 1998 WLR 625.
The Journalist’s Privilege. Kassel. Wis. Law. Feb. 1996.
The Price of Free Speech: Regents v. Southworth. Furlow. Wis. Law. June 2000.
Regulating the Limits of Speech. Hoffer. Wis. Law. July/Aug. 2018.
Social Media, the First Amendment, and Government Actors. Westerberg & Dumas. Wis. Law. Jan. 2020.
libel
In a libel action involving a public figure or a matter of public concern, the defendant is entitled to the “clear and convincing” burden of proof and also to a finding of the type of malice involved. Polzin v. Helmbrecht, 54 Wis. 2d 578, 196 N.W.2d 685 (1972). In determining punitive damages in libel cases, it is relevant to consider the maximum fine for a similar offense under the criminal code. Wozniak v. Local 1111 of United Electrical Works of America, 57 Wis. 2d 725, 205 N.W.2d 369 (1973). The executive committee of the medical staff of a private hospital is not a quasi-judicial body so as to render a letter to it privileged. DiMiceli v. Klieger, 58 Wis. 2d 359, 206 N.W.2d 184 (1973).