Government Cant Censor the Truth About Judges – The Wall Street Journal

Can the government censor you for tweeting happy birthday to a judge? The Senate Judiciary Committee recently voted 21-0 to advance a bill that would allow exactly that. If it is enacted, every American could face mandatory take-down orders for posting basic facts online about federal judges, including birth dates, spouses jobs and the colleges attended by their children. Because the bill stifles access to relevant information about public officials and arbitrarily limits its restrictions to the internet but not other media, it would violate the First Amendment.

The impetus for the proposed legislation was a tragic event: the murder last year of Daniel Anderl, son of Judge Esther Salas, at their home. Heres how the Daniel Anderl Judicial Security and Privacy Act would work. If you post covered information about a federal judge online, that judge (or a designated federal official) can send you a written request to take it down. If you dont comply within 72 hours, the judge can sue you. If you lose, you have to take down the information and pay the judges legal fees and court costs.

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Government Cant Censor the Truth About Judges - The Wall Street Journal