Civil Stalking Protection Order (CSPO) Ruling In Ohio!
Ohio Supreme Court Rules on Civil Stalking Protection Order (CSPO) Usage, and Social Media First Amendment Rights
Social media sites have become important platforms for exercising free speech rights protected under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Despite overall agreement as to the importance of such platforms, there is debate over the extent to which such speech can be restricted. One side argues that there are not enough measures in place to protect against violent or false content, while the other argues that such measures could unfairly restrict potentially valuable content.
On June 16, 2020, the Ohio Supreme Court spoke on this controversy in its decision, Bey v. Rasawehr, Slip Opinion No. 2020-Ohio-3301, where the Court held that a civil stalking protection order (CSPO) restricting future postings imposed an unconstitutional prior restraint on protected speech. Click here to read the opinion.
What happened in the case?
Following the deaths of his father and brother-in-law, appellant Jeffrey Rasawehr began posting on social media sites as well as local news sites that his mother and sister contributed to the deaths of their respective husbands. A billboard located near his sister’s house contained … Read More... “The First Amendment and the Digital Age: Can the Court stop you from posting online? The Ohio Supreme Court Addresses this Question”