Monday, June 25, 2007

Bong Hits 4 Jesus: D-Day

While most constitutional scholars/nerds have been waiting for the school segregation, campaign finance, and death penalty cases to come down, I've been waiting for 'Bong Hits 4 Jesus." Today was decision day.

Last December I wrote about the Supreme Court taking this case here. Then this case was the subject of our "write on" competition to get onto law review. I captured my moments of insanity from that experience here, and did a recap of the case here, predicting and hoping that the student holding the 'bong hits 4 Jesus' sign would win.

So, it would only be fitting that I provide some closure and sadly report that the Court ruled 6-3 against the student today, allowing schools to have more control over student speech. (Court Tightens Limits on Student Speech). Although I can't say that I'm surprised, I am bummed. Like I said in a previous post, I don't advocate drugs but I do advocate free speech. I know people on both sides of the aisles that don't agree with this holding, particularly people who poured through 500 pages of material of this case for write-on and know a fair amount of legal background on the issue. Plus any win for former Special Prosecutor Ken Starr (pictured right with a bong) can't be good.

The little little comfort that I have is that Alito's concurrence narrows this ruling only applies to advocacy of illegal drug use. Much to Justice Thomas' sadness, political speech would still be protected in schools, even political messages about drugs.

In a happier verdict, a Court Rules for Cleaners in $54 Million Pants Suit. A ridiculous case about a judge, yes a judge, who sued his drycleaners for $54 million because he claims they lost his pants. Though it is hard to feel any sympathy for a man who wouldn't take the thousands of dollars the dry cleaner's offered in a settlement and instead racked up so much litigation the cleaners thought about moving back to Korea, you know that this judge has serious issues (probably even beyond his divorce, as many people suspect). In the end, I'm still glad that the dry cleaners won and hope that this judge won't be hearing cases anymore.

1 comment:

faithsalutes said...

I am a Christian and not a drug user, but I believe in free speech. Go KPD! This made me so angry...and that judge with his pants has got to be the icing on the cake. No wonder people don't believe our justice system anymore.

Free Paris.