Most Basic of Rights, The: Truth as a Defense in Cases of Libel and Slander
Early in the establishment of the free press was the notion that truth is a defense in cases of libel and slander. This was a key point of the defense in the Zenger trial of 1734-35. In 1964, in New York Times v. Sullivan, the court went even furthe...
Most Basic of Rights, The: Implied Right of Privacy, The
In 1965 the Supreme Court added privacy to the list of protections, reasoning that the freedoms in the Bill of Rights imply an underlying right of privacy. In succeeding decades that interpretation has led to several controversial decisions like Roe...
Most Basic of Rights, The: Increased Protection for Free Speech
Protections for free speech increased throughout the 20th century. In reviewing cases that arose from the Espionage Act in World War I, the Supreme Court established a "clear and present danger" standard. Even during the McCarthy era, the idea of cr...