Douglas Lee columns
Page 3 of 4
California ruling on civil trials may stem tide of closed courtrooms
By Douglas Lee State high court firmly rejects the notion that juries can be fair only if courtrooms are closed.
08.04.99
White supremacist's battles with state prove wrong is sometimes right
By Douglas Lee Illinois officials have done for Matthew Hale what he never could have done for himself: They legitimized his beliefs and made him the victim rather than the oppressor.
07.23.99
Media attorneys win big as newsgathering takes hit
By Douglas Lee California high court's intricate analysis in Sanders v. ABC will make lawyers an indispensable - if unwelcome - part of undercover reporting teams.
07.09.99
City official's complaint about cartoon illustrates ignorance
By Douglas Lee If bureaucrats can charge media with discrimination every time a minority is offended by a published opinion, the First Amendment will be stripped of its meaning.
06.18.99
Why must we overreact every time rebel flag appears?
By Douglas Lee Symbolic power of Confederate flag, after all, is very reason that its display must not be over-regulated.
05.28.99
But seriously folks, First Amendment fights shouldn't be frivolous
By Douglas Lee Rulings in two Indiana cases were necessary, but the lack of principle involved renders both victories relatively hollow.
05.19.99
Boy Scout controversy pits ACLU against God, mom, apple pie
By Douglas Lee As long as the Boy Scouts require a religious oath, the principle of church/state separation should prevent publicly funded organizations from sponsoring troops.
05.03.99
CBS steps into Lion's den with undercover report
By Douglas Lee Decision in Food Lion case against ABC may determine fate of controversial newsgathering practice.
04.29.99
Displays of Ten Commandments can be constitutional, but at what cost?
By Douglas Lee Those who would proselytize with religious codes in public places should heed lessons of Nativity scene cases.
03.30.99
Survey on state of press freedom shows how much work media must do
By Douglas Lee Challenges include not only educating public on importance of First Amendment freedoms, but also accepting responsibilities that come with rights.
03.23.99
Denial of law license creates First Amendment martyr
By Douglas Lee By pausing to judge Matthew Hale's white-supremacist beliefs, character committee dignified them as worthy of judging.
03.05.99
Have today's students surrendered their rights at schoolhouse gates?
By Douglas Lee Moot Court competitors will examine whether 30-year-old Tinker standard still applies as they debate a thoroughly modern question.
02.25.99
Why we should resist efforts to rein in wild, wild Web
By Douglas Lee As someone who was too young to "experience" the 1960s, I've always been a little jealous of the baby boomers. For a long time, I thought I'd never feel the excitement of social anarchy, political revolution and free love.
02.02.99
True 'trial of the century' should be open to the public
By Douglas Lee It is almost unfathomable to think that critical constitutional issues in the impeachment trial might be played out behind closed doors.
01.21.99
1998 chips away at freedom of the press
By Douglas Lee Media law didn't change, but judges' application of it restricted newsgathering and closed courtrooms.
01.04.99
Crèches and Santa on the courthouse lawn
By Douglas Lee A Nativity scene that includes Santa and Frosty is still an insult to the First Amendment — and to Christianity too.
12.24.98
Future shock: A worst-case courtroom scenario
By Douglas Lee Before we blister our hands high-fiving over the Wisconsin Supreme Court's recent rejection of a rule that would have provided for anonymous juries in all cases, we should remember the proposed rule was so sweeping that it would have denied juror information even to the lawyers trying the case.
12.02.98
It's quick, it's easy, it's a subpoena
By Douglas Lee Today's judges less likely to discourage lawyers who want journalists to disclose their confidential sources.
11.18.98
Criminalizing hate shackles everyone's rights
By Douglas Lee Expanding the reach of hate-crime statutes undoubtedly would outlaw more speech and narrow First Amendment protections even further.
10.30.98
Illinois city officials cast vote for tyranny when crews seize yards signs
By Douglas Lee Every political placard represents not only an expression of support for a candidate but also a reaffirmation of the democratic process.
10.21.98
Page last updated: 5/2/2013 1:36:40 PM
