Day: August 1, 2026

FL: A Mixed Bag: Challenge to Florida’s “SEXUAL PREDATOR” Driver License Branding Dismissed—But Not on the Merits

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Source: Florida Action Committee 7/31/26 The U.S. District Court has ruled against the plaintiff in a challenge to Florida’s requirement that the words “SEXUAL PREDATOR” appear prominently on the driver’s licenses of individuals designated as sexual predators. Bad news for this Plaintiff, obviously, but it’s not quite as bad as it seems. The plaintiff, Lane Kirkpatrick, argued that forcing him to carry and present a driver’s license branded with “SEXUAL PREDATOR” violates the First Amendment by compelling him to communicate the government’s message every time he shows his ID. The…

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AR: Arkansas law creates penalties for librarians distributing content deemed ‘harmful’ to minors

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Source: arkansasadvocate.com 7/30/26 A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that Arkansas’ 2023 law restricting access to library materials can go into effect, three years after a judge blocked two sections of the law on First Amendment grounds. The three-judge panel from the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis ruled that the 18 plaintiffs had no standing to challenge one section of Act 372 and failed to prove that the other section was unconstitutionally vague. The two sections create criminal liability for librarians who distribute content that some consider “obscene” or “harmful to minors,”…

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AZ: High court says churches, not judges, define a ‘confession’ when it comes to reporting child abuse

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Source: azmirror.com 7/30/26 Advocates warn the broad ruling lets predators use a ‘confessional loophole’ to escape justice   The Arizona Supreme Court sided with religious leaders this week who argued the state’s clergy-penitent privilege law shielded them from reporting child sexual abuse to authorities. And in declaring that any intervention by the courts would violate the First Amendment, the justices made clear they don’t think any changes to Arizona law aimed at forcing clergy to report abuse would be constitutional.   “We hold that the First Amendment generally prohibits factfinders from…

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