Abcnews.com reports on a Third Circuit decision striking down a law restricting protest around abortion clinics. The Pittsburgh law required demonstrators both to say 15 feet away from clinic entrances and to stay 8 feet away from individuals traveling to a clinic, so long as those individuals were within 100 feet of the clinic. The court held that although each of the restrictions might be legal on its own, when combined they restricted too much speech.
Wired.com covers yesterday’s decision by a district court judge to allow a lawsuit challenging the patent on a gene to go forward. The lawsuit advances a First Amendment claim, among others. The judge will hear argument on the plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment in December.
The New York Times publishes an editorial supporting the federal reporter shield law. The paper argues that although the shield law does not provide expansive enough protections for journalists in certain circumstances, the proposed legislation is an improvement on the current situation.