“NY village vote on changing seal depicting white settler ‘choking Indian'”

Here, here, and here:

Whitesboro.jpg

Former Federal Official that Stole Indian Ancestors Pleads Guilty

Here is the press release titled “Former Effigy Mounds National Monument Superintendent Admits to Stealing Human Remains:

Munson Plea PR

Michigan State NALSA Event — Jan. 21, 2016

Here (MSU NALSA Climate Change Event PDF):

MSU NALSA Climate Change Event Poster

 

Federal Court Dismisses Suit by Oklahoma Student Denied Request to Wear Eagle Feather at Graduation

Here is the opinion in Griffith v. Caney Valley Public Schools (N.D. Okla.):

42 DCT Order

Briefs here.

Federal Court Affirms Navajo Nation May Sue Urban Outfitters under American Indian Arts and Crafts Act

Here are the materials in Navajo Nation v. Urban Outfitters (D. N.M.):

258 Navajo Response

287 Reply

606 DCT order

Previous posts here, here, and here.

Federal Circuit Sitting En Banc Declares Section 2(a) of the Lanham Act Unconstitutional

Here is the opinion in In re Tam:

In re Tam

An excerpt:

Section 2(a) of the Lanham Act bars the Patent and Trademark Office (“PTO”) from registering scandalous, immoral, or disparaging marks. 15 U.S.C. § 1052(a). The government enacted this law—and defends it today— because it disapproves of the messages conveyed by disparaging marks. It is a bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment that the government may not penalize private speech merely because it disapproves of the message it conveys. That principle governs even when the government’s message-discriminatory penalty is less than a prohibition.

Courts have been slow to appreciate the expressive power of trademarks. Words—even a single word—can be powerful. Mr. Simon Shiao Tam named his band THE SLANTS to make a statement about racial and cultural issues in this country. With his band name, Mr. Tam conveys more about our society than many volumes of undisputedly protected speech. Another rejected mark, STOP THE ISLAMISATION OF AMERICA, proclaims that Islamisation is undesirable and should be stopped. Many of the marks rejected as disparaging convey hurtful speech that harms members of oft-stigmatized communities. But the First Amendment protects even hurtful speech.

The government cannot refuse to register disparaging marks because it disapproves of the expressive messages conveyed by the marks. It cannot refuse to register marks because it concludes that such marks will be disparaging to others. The government regulation at issue amounts to viewpoint discrimination, and under the strict scrutiny review appropriate for government regulation of message or viewpoint, we conclude that the disparagement proscription of § 2(a) is unconstitutional. Because the government has offered no legitimate interests justifying § 2(a), we conclude that it would also be unconstitutional under the intermediate scrutiny traditionally applied to regulation of the commercial aspects of speech. 

 

Briefs in Oklahoma Eagle Feather Graduation Case

Here are the materials in Griffith v. Caney Valley Public Schools (N.D. Okla.):

32 Motion to Dismiss

33 Opposition

34 Reply

39 Brief of the State of Oklahoma As Amicus Curiae

Federal Court Grants Federal Officer Summary Judgment in Excessive Force Suit brought by Deceased Alleged Indian Graverobber

Here are the materials in Estate of Redd v. Love (D. Utah):

93 Love Motion for Summary J

102 Estate Opposition

115 Reply

120 DCT Order

An excerpt:

This case arises out of Dr. James D. Redd’s tragic suicide the day after federal agents arrested him and his wife for trafficking in stolen Native American artifacts, theft of government property, and theft of tribal property. Dr. Redd’s Estate brought this Bivens action against Bureau of Land Management Agent Daniel Love. The Estate claims Agent Love violated Dr. Redd’s Fourth Amendment right to be free from the use of excessive force when Agent Love sent over fifty-three federal agents, many of whom were heavily armed and wearing bulletproof vests, to raid and search Dr. Redd’s home.

Agent Love moves for summary judgment, arguing qualified immunity shields him from the Estate’s claim. After careful consideration, the court grants Agent Love’s motion.

The estate previously survived a federal summary judgment motion, and those materials are here.

 

Still Another Cert Petition: Oklahoma “Sacred Rain Arrow” License Plate

Here is the petition in Cressman v. Thompson:

Cert Petition

Question presented:

Oklahoma compels Keith Cressman to display an image of the “Sacred Rain Arrow” sculpture from his vehicle – via his standard license plate – although he objects to displaying that image. This Court addressed the same issue in Wooley v. Maynard, 430 U.S. 705 (1977), holding New Hampshire violated a couple’s right to free speech by forcing them to display the state motto “Live Free or Die” on their vehicle’s standard license plate over their objection. But the Tenth Circuit distinguished Wooley on the ground that Wooley concerned words, not images.

The Tenth Circuit – creating a conflict with the Sixth Circuit- held artistic images disseminated in significant numbers are not pure speech and must be analyzed as symbolic speech instead. The Tenth Circuit then compounded a pre-existing circuit split on the protection afforded symbolic speech, using an approach different from all others, holding symbolic speech must present an “identifiable message to a reasonable observer” to ensure constitutional covering. And, in applying these novel principles to Cressman’s compelled speech claim, the Tenth Circuit contravened precedent further in holding Cressman’s speech was not compelled because his objection did not match the inference a “reasonable observer” would draw about the image.

The question presented is whether the State can compel citizens to display images that are objectionable to them?

Lower court materials here.

Mass. Supreme Court Rules Sweatlodge Closure Violates RLUIPA

Memorandum and Order in re Trapp v. DOC

Previous post here.