Blakeslee v. St. Sauveur

  • Filed: 04/15/2014
  • Status: Closed
  • Latest Update: Apr 15, 2014
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Summary

The ACLU of Rhode Island filed the federal lawsuit to prevent the Smithfield Police Department from continuing to enforce a broadly written state law that makes it a crime to circulate anonymous political literature, including unsigned newspaper editorials. The statute, which carries a potential one-year prison sentence, bars the distribution of any anonymous political literature that relates to ballot questions or that criticizes a political candidate’s “personal character or political action.” Case Update: October 2014, U.S. District Court Judge William Smith struck down the state law that makes it a crime to circulate anonymous political literature, including unsigned newspaper editorials.

Attorney(s):
Mark Freel

News & Commentary

Oct 07, 2014

Judge Rules Unconstitutional State Ban On Anonymous Political Literature

Ruling in an ACLU lawsuit, U.S. District Court Judge William Smith struck down a state law that makes it a crime to circulate anonymous political literature, including unsigned newspaper editorials. The ACLU of Rhode Island sued over the legality of the statute earlier this year to halt the Town of Smithfield’s stated plans to enforce it. The statute, which carries a potential one-year prison sentence, bars the distribution of any anonymous political literature that relates to ballot questions or that criticizes a political candidate’s “personal character or political action.”

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Apr 15, 2014

ACLU Sues Smithfield for Enforcing Unconstitutional Ban on Anonymous Literature

The ACLU of Rhode Island today filed a federal lawsuit to prevent the Smithfield Police Department from continuing to enforce an overly broad state law that makes it a crime to circulate anonymous political literature, including unsigned newspaper editorials. The statute, which carries a potential one-year prison sentence, unconstitutionally bars the distribution of any anonymous political literature that relates to ballot questions or that criticizes a political candidate’s “personal character or political action.”

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Learn More About the Issues in This Case

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Related News & Podcasts

News & Commentary
Oct 07, 2014
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  • First Amendment

Judge Rules Unconstitutional State Ban On Anonymous Political Literature

Ruling in an ACLU lawsuit, U.S. District Court Judge William Smith struck down a state law that makes it a crime to circulate anonymous political literature, including unsigned newspaper editorials. The ACLU of Rhode Island sued over the legality of the statute earlier this year to halt the Town of Smithfield’s stated plans to enforce it. The statute, which carries a potential one-year prison sentence, bars the distribution of any anonymous political literature that relates to ballot questions or that criticizes a political candidate’s “personal character or political action.”
News & Commentary
Apr 15, 2014
Placeholder image
  • First Amendment

ACLU Sues Smithfield for Enforcing Unconstitutional Ban on Anonymous Literature

The ACLU of Rhode Island today filed a federal lawsuit to prevent the Smithfield Police Department from continuing to enforce an overly broad state law that makes it a crime to circulate anonymous political literature, including unsigned newspaper editorials. The statute, which carries a potential one-year prison sentence, unconstitutionally bars the distribution of any anonymous political literature that relates to ballot questions or that criticizes a political candidate’s “personal character or political action.”