May a county commissioner make a personal statement during a board meeting to endorse a candidate who is running for a seat on the commission? May she call a press conference on her front lawn to endorse that candidate? May … Read more

Earlier this year it was reported in an Arizona newspaper that a prominent community activist (Ms. Smith) might face misdemeanor charges after witnesses saw her stealing campaign signs that Ms. Smith said were illegal and “negative” in their message. It … Read more

After a grueling budget season, the county board of commissioners has cut, and cut, and cut. The board members have come to the conclusion that, to avoid serious diminution in services, they must increase revenue. The next step is to … Read more

Government agencies are increasingly recognizing the need to communicate with their constituents and to promote citizen participation in government programs and issues. Government web sites have become standard fare, providing information and mostly one-way communication from the government to the … Read more

When it comes to litigation involving freedom of expression in public places, the three-part forum analysis is, by now, pretty familiar. There’s the traditional public forum, the nonpublic forum, and the limited (sometimes called “designated” or “quasi”) public forum.  Courts … Read more