Get all your news in one place.

100's of premium titles.
One app.

Get all your news in one place.

100's of premium titles. One news app.

The Latest Breaking News from Randell Iles

He Was Arrested for Making a Joke on Facebook. A Jury Just Awarded Him $205,000 in Damages.

The verdict vindicates the constitutional rights that Louisiana sheriff's deputies flagrantly violated when they hauled Waylon Bailey off to jail.

Reason · Feb 1, 2024

Time to extinguish the claim that you can’t yell ‘fire in a crowded theater’

A court decision against a Louisiana man who made a COVID joke illustrates the continuing influence of a misbegotten, century-old analogy that is frequently used as an excuse to punish or censor constitutionally protected speech.

Chicago Sun-Times · Aug 30, 2023

A Ruling Against a Man Arrested for a COVID-19 Joke Highlights the Influence of a Pernicious Analogy

A federal judge compared Waylon Bailey’s Facebook jest to "falsely shouting fire in a theatre."

Reason · Aug 30, 2023

From analysis to the latest developments in health,
read the most diverse news in one place.

'No Reasonable Officer' Would Have Arrested a Guy for a COVID-19 Joke, the 5th Circuit Says

The appeals court ruled that a Facebook post alluding to World War Z was clearly protected by the First Amendment.

Reason · Aug 28, 2023

Joke "We Need You Brad Pitt" Post at Start of COVID Pandemic Protected by First Amendment

The post led to the author being arrested for "terrorizing"; so clearly unconstitutional that the police officer lacks qualified immunity, says the Fifth Circuit.

Reason · Aug 25, 2023

Arrest for World-War-Z-Inspired March 2020 Joke About Police Shooting "Infected" on Sight Was Constitutional

From Bailey v. Iles, decided Wednesday by Judge David Joseph (W.D. La.): This matter arises out of an incident that began with a "posting" on Facebook during the early stages of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. On March 20, 2020, Waylon Bailey—allegedly "bored" due to the lockdown associated with COVID-19—posted…

Reason · Jul 22, 2022

Coverage From

People

Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr

14 stories

Schenck

12 stories

From analysis to the latest developments in health,
read the most diverse news in one place.

Organisations

the Institute for Justice

89 stories

Read news from The Economist, FT, and more,
with one subscription

Topics

Places

Fourteen days free

Download the app

One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.