Author: jonathanturley

Academia

Problem Solved? USC Cancels Graduation to Avoid Pro-Palestinian Protesters

The University of Southern California (USC) is under fire this week after announcing that it had a solution to the possible pro-Palestinian protests at the graduation: it cancelled the graduation. It is both enabling and irresponsible. Rather than protect students and their families at this important and well-earned event in their lives, the university is yielding to the mob. It is a feckless and feeble response to what should have been an easy decision for any administrator.

Continue reading “Problem Solved? USC Cancels Graduation to Avoid Pro-Palestinian Protesters” →

Columns, Constitutional Law, Courts, Criminal law, Supreme Court

The Constitutional Abyss: Justices Signal a Desire to Avoid Both Cliffs on Presidential Immunity

Below is my column in the New York Post on yesterday’s oral arguments on presidential immunity. As expected, with the exception of the three liberal justices, the Court appears to be struggling to find a more nuanced approach that would avoid the extreme positions of both parties. Rather than take a header off either cliff, the justices seem interested in a controlled descent into the depths of Article II.

Here is the column: Continue reading “The Constitutional Abyss: Justices Signal a Desire to Avoid Both Cliffs on Presidential Immunity” →

Uncategorized

Court to Decide Trump Contempt Sanction Including Objection to Use of Turley Quotation
C-Span/YouTube Screenshot

I will confess that there are at times a level of contempt expressed in my columns. However, today will be the first time that a column becomes a legal matter for contempt. Among the ten postings by former president Donald Trump being raised by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg in his contempt sanction is the use of a quotation from one of my columns. Continue reading “Court to Decide Trump Contempt Sanction Including Objection to Use of Turley Quotation” →

Columns, Criminal law, Politics

Alvin Bragg has his Trump trial, All he Needs Now is a Crime

Below is an expanded version of my column in the New York Post on the start of the Trump trial and much awaited explanation of District Attorney Alvin Bragg on the underlying alleged criminal conduct. The curious aspect of the case is that the prosecutors are stressing that they will prove largely uncontested facts. Indeed, if all of these facts of payments, non-disclosure agreements, and affairs are proven many of us (including liberal legal experts) are doubtful that there is any cognizable crime.

Here is the column: Continue reading “Alvin Bragg has his Trump trial, All he Needs Now is a Crime” →

Criminal law

Romney and the Wrong Question: The Senator’s Statement on Trump’s Guilt Captures the Problem with the Manhattan Trial

Yesterday, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) had a much covered interaction with CNN’s Manu Raju who asked him about Trump’s criminal trial and whether he was guilty of the underlying criminal conduct. Romney responded “I think everybody has made their own assessment of President Trump’s character, and so far as I know you don’t pay someone $130,000 not to have sex with you.” I have previously defended Romney in his votes on impeachment despite our disagreement on the constitutional standard. I also understand that he was making a more general comment on character. However, his response is precisely what Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is seeking from the jury: a verdict on Trump as a person rather than the underlying criminal allegations. Continue reading “Romney and the Wrong Question: The Senator’s Statement on Trump’s Guilt Captures the Problem with the Manhattan Trial” →

Academia, Free Speech

“Deactivated”: Columbia Reportedly Blocks Jewish Professor from Access to Campus

Professor Shai Davidai, an assistant professor at Columbia Business School, was reportedly denied access to the main campus on Friday as his school ID was “deactivated” during the recent protests over the Israeli-Gaza conflict. What was equally concerning is that the university did so for his own protection out of concern that, as an outspoken Jewish faculty member, he could not walk around the campus safely. It was reminiscent of the recent controversy of a man in London threatened with arrest because being “quite openly Jewish” would trigger pro-Palestinian protesters.

Continue reading ““Deactivated”: Columbia Reportedly Blocks Jewish Professor from Access to Campus” →

Criminal law, Free Speech, International, Religion

“You Are Quite Openly Jewish”: London Police Under Fire for Confrontation With Man Near Anti-Israeli March

The London police are under fire this week for threatening to arrest a man wearing a kippah near a pro-Palestinian march. Officers inform Gideon Falter, head of the Campaign Against Antisemitism watchdog, that he was “antagonizing” the protesters by being “openly Jewish” near such a march. He was told that, if he tried to cross the street while being “openly Jewish,” he would be arrested for breach of the peace. Continue reading ““You Are Quite Openly Jewish”: London Police Under Fire for Confrontation With Man Near Anti-Israeli March” →

Constitutional Law, Courts, Criminal law, Free Speech

Ninth Circuit Rules Against Seattle in Using “Heckler’s Veto” in Arrest of Pro-Life Protester

We have often discussed how cities and universities will use the threat of protests to block or shutdown free speech, particularly of conservative speakers or groups. We now have a major decision out of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit that could prove an important precedent in resisting the growing anti-free speech movement in the United States. In Meinecke v. City of Seattle, the court ruled against Seattle in a case involving the arrest of a pro-life protester. Matthew Meinecke was harassed by Antifa and other counterprotesters, but police arrested Meineche when he refused to yield in exercising his right to free speech. Continue reading “Ninth Circuit Rules Against Seattle in Using “Heckler’s Veto” in Arrest of Pro-Life Protester” →

Academia, Free Speech

Survey: A Majority of Stanford Students Support Cancelling Conservative Speakers a Year After Duncan Controversy

A year ago, Stanford University was embroiled in controversy after federal appellate Judge Kyle Duncan was shouted down by law students. Now a survey by FIRE has found that a majority of students believe that Duncan should have been cancelled.  Seventy-five percent believe that it is appropriate to shout down speakers.  A year ago, I wrote a critical column on the ridiculous response of Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne and Law School Dean Jenny Martinez who declined to punish any students. Instead all students were required to watch a widely mocked video on free speech.

Continue reading “Survey: A Majority of Stanford Students Support Cancelling Conservative Speakers a Year After Duncan Controversy” →

Academia

“Normal to be Distressed”: UCLA Psychiatry Professors Rationalize Self-Immolation to Protest Israel

Drs. Ragda Izar and Afaf Moustafa caused a controversy recently at UCLA medical school after publicly rationalizing the self-immolation in front of Israel’s embassy of airman Aaron Bushnell in February to protest Israeli policies. Dr. Izar is listed as part of the UCLA staff. It was, according to one of the doctors, a “revolutionary suicide.”  We recently discussed a mandatory lecture at the UCLA medical school of one of the university’s “activists-in-residence” replete with anti-Semitic postings and racist rhetoric. Continue reading ““Normal to be Distressed”: UCLA Psychiatry Professors Rationalize Self-Immolation to Protest Israel” →

Academia, Free Speech

Cornell Professor Files Disorderly Conduct Charge Against Colleague Who Disrupted Coulter Event

Cornell Professor Randy O. Wayne has filed a criminal complaint against Monica Cornejo, an assistant professor of interpersonal communication, for her disruption of the recent speech by conservative commentator Ann Coulter. As we discussed, Cornell Provost Michael Kotlikoff extended the invitation after an earlier event was interrupted by protesters and declared that the university would not allow the exercise of free speech to be blocked by activists.  In defiance of that policy, Cornejo proceeded to interrupt the event with heckling and profanities. Continue reading “Cornell Professor Files Disorderly Conduct Charge Against Colleague Who Disrupted Coulter Event” →

Bizarre

No, The President’s Uncle Was Not Eaten by Cannibals . . . Seriously

President Joe Biden has been long accused of false stories that have ranged from an invented arrest with Nelson Mandela to a zombie-like train conductor. Some are more serious like lying about influence peddling by his family or constitutional norms. However, as a military history nut, one new story stood out this week. President Biden suggested that his uncle Ambrose “Bozey” Finnegan may have been eaten by cannibals in World War II. What is striking about this story is the specificity of the key facts … and the fact that they are entirely false (other than his uncle dying near New Guinea). Continue reading “No, The President’s Uncle Was Not Eaten by Cannibals . . . Seriously” →

Media

NPR Editor Resigns After Suspension for Exposing Bias and Intolerance

It appears that National Public Radio has solved the problem of the intolerance for opposing views, detailed in an article by award-winning editor Uri Berliner: he is now out of NPR. Berliner resigned after NPR suspended him and various other journalists and the CEO lashed out at his discussing their political bias. For those of us in higher education, it is a chillingly familiar pattern.  Editors, journalists, and listeners at the public-supported outlet will now be able to return to the echo-chambered coverage without the distracting voice of a dissenter.

Continue reading “NPR Editor Resigns After Suspension for Exposing Bias and Intolerance” →

Academia, Free Speech

“Do Not Touch Me…I am a Faculty Member”: Cornell Professor Disrupts Coulter Speech

Monica Cornejo, an assistant professor of interpersonal communication, was forcibly removed from a Cornell University event this week after disrupting a speech by conservative commentator Ann Coulter. She is only the latest faculty member to seek to prevent others from hearing opposing views. The question now is what Cornell will do about her conduct. Continue reading ““Do Not Touch Me…I am a Faculty Member”: Cornell Professor Disrupts Coulter Speech” →