First Amendment
Download this Lexipol explainer, “Officer Free Speech: What agencies can and can’t do to restrict free speech,” today to learn key guidelines about officer free speech and First Amendment protection.
Think and consult before you prohibit or arrest
Police need to understand what law enforcement interests might outweigh the free speech protection of livestreaming – and under what circumstances
After Michael Friend made a sign reading “Cops Ahead,” an officer arrested him for “interfering” with a distracted driving investigation – here’s how the court ruled after Friend sued
The new policy prohibits filming and recording in the DeLand Police Department station lobby; advocates say the rule will protect citizens who need to share sensitive information with police
YouTuber, ‘First Amendment’ auditor gets 6 months for interfering with Las Vegas police traffic stop
“He wants to get arrested, he wants to get into an altercation with police officers,” said the judge after finding Jose “Chille” DeCastro guilty
The lawsuit comes after Google announced its decision to end geofence warrants in December
The Chula Vista PD was taken to court after it withheld all drone footage under a California Public Record Act exemption that allows investigative material to remain confidential
The network will switch from analog to digital, making it inaccessible to the public and press
The court sided with the officers, saying that the township failed to demonstrate “real, not conjectural, harm” by using the flag
The local police union has filed a grievance seeking to overturn the officer’s suspension
Police arrested Anthony Novak in 2016 after he created a fake police Facebook page that closely mirrored the look of Parma PD’s official page
A board had voted to ban the display of the flag on township property, police uniforms and officers’ tattoos while on duty
Experts review common issues that can cause problems not only for a patrol officer but all the way up the chain of command in an agency
Former DEA agent and trainer Dan Mehdi discusses the parallels between training for the military, DEA and police agencies to develop leadership and moral courage
The case stemmed from an incident involving a suspect who became belligerent when the upside-down American flag he hung at a Va. police station was removed
Investigation of cyberstalking, or any stalking based on communications, should start with a visit to the appropriate prosecutor for guidance on the constitutional guardrails
To protect the freedom of the press, law enforcement must handle uncertain situations with the utmost care and professionalism
Judges said the man failed to prove the officers acted maliciously when they investigated and charged him with fourth-degree felony disrupting public services
Justice Jackson’s district court opinions and orders provide an example of her jurisprudential work related to law enforcement
An investigation is underway after an officer apparently used copyrighted music to prevent someone from recording him
Don’t let this be you
‘I will likely get fired over this video, but I am nonetheless exercising my First Amendment rights to speak freely,” said Trooper Zachary Kowing
Don’t be misled into thinking the First Amendment protects you from becoming a social media career casualty
A suit argues that the law violates free speech protections and protections against cruel and unusual punishment
The tactic of a cop playing music while a member of the public is recording them to prevent the dissemination of the material online does not pass the “smell test”
Case law provides public employers with precedent to dismiss employees whose personal associations are deemed antagonistic to the employer’s mission and integrity
Listen to Gordon Graham’s opinion on this topic
When does a public employee’s First Amendment rights give way to an employer’s right to suspend or terminate the employee?
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