Justices reject appeal from man arrested for spoofing police
‘The Onion’s writers also have a self-serving interest in preventing political authorities from imprisoning humorists,’ the site’s lawyers wrote in a brief filed in October
The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal, backed by the satirical The Onion, from a man who was arrested and prosecuted for making fun of police on social media. The justices on Tuesday left in place a lower court ruling against Anthony Novak, who was arrested after he spoofed the Parma, Ohio, police force in Facebook posts.
After his acquittal on criminal charges, Novak sued the police for violating his constitutional rights. But a federal appeals court ruled the officers have “qualified immunity” and threw out the lawsuit. The Onion filed its brief in defense of parody. Its lawyers wrote that the First Amendment protects people from prosecution when they make fun of others.
“The Onion’s writers also have a self-serving interest in preventing political authorities from imprisoning humorists,” the site’s lawyers wrote in a brief filed in October. “This brief is submitted in the interest of at least mitigating their future punishment.”
Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAÍS USA Edition
Tu suscripción se está usando en otro dispositivo
¿Quieres añadir otro usuario a tu suscripción?
Si continúas leyendo en este dispositivo, no se podrá leer en el otro.
FlechaTu suscripción se está usando en otro dispositivo y solo puedes acceder a EL PAÍS desde un dispositivo a la vez.
Si quieres compartir tu cuenta, cambia tu suscripción a la modalidad Premium, así podrás añadir otro usuario. Cada uno accederá con su propia cuenta de email, lo que os permitirá personalizar vuestra experiencia en EL PAÍS.
¿Tienes una suscripción de empresa? Accede aquí para contratar más cuentas.
En el caso de no saber quién está usando tu cuenta, te recomendamos cambiar tu contraseña aquí.
Si decides continuar compartiendo tu cuenta, este mensaje se mostrará en tu dispositivo y en el de la otra persona que está usando tu cuenta de forma indefinida, afectando a tu experiencia de lectura. Puedes consultar aquí los términos y condiciones de la suscripción digital.
More information
Archived In
Últimas noticias
The United States designates Clan de Golfo as a foreign terrorist group
The United States strikes three more suspected drug boats, killing eight
The Iberian Peninsula is rotating clockwise, scientists report
Louis Tomlinson on surviving the loss of his mother, sister and One Direction bandmate: ‘There’s no preparation for what I’ve been through’
Most viewed
- Christian Louboutin: ‘Young people don’t want to be like their parents. And if their parents wear sneakers, they’re going to look for something else’
- ‘We are dying’: Cuba sinks into a health crisis amid medicine shortages and misdiagnosis
- A mountaineer, accused of manslaughter for the death of his partner during a climb: He silenced his phone and refused a helicopter rescue
- Cartels in Mexico take a leap forward with narco-drones: ‘It is criminal groups that are leading the innovation race’
- ‘El Limones’ and the growing union disguise of Mexican organized crime
