No. 22-611

Kevin Lindke v. James R. Freed

Lower Court: Sixth Circuit
Docketed: 2023-01-04
Status: Judgment Issued
Type: Paid
Amici (9)Relisted (2) Experienced Counsel
Tags: civil-rights constitutional-scrutiny first-amendment free-speech government-duty government-official public-forum public-official social-media state-action
Key Terms:
SocialSecurity FirstAmendment
Latest Conference: 2023-04-21 (distributed 2 times)
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether a public official's social media activity can constitute state action only if the official used the account to perform a governmental duty or under the authority of his or her office

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTION PRESENTED Courts have increasingly been called upon to determine whether a public official who selectively blocks access to his or her social media account has engaged in state action subject to constitutional scrutiny. To answer that question, most circuits consider a broad range of factors, including the account’s appearance and purpose. But in the decision below, the court of appeals rejected the relevance of any consideration other than whether the official was performing a “duty of his office” or invoking the “authority of his office.” App. 5a. The question presented is: Whether a public official’s social media activity can constitute state action only if the official used the account to perform a governmental duty or under the authority of his or her office. i)

Docket Entries

2024-04-16
Judgment Issued.
2024-03-15
Judgment VACATED and case REMANDED. Barrett, J., delivered the <a href = 'https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/23pdf/22-611_ap6c.pdf'>opinion</a> for a unanimous Court.
2023-10-31
Argued. For petitioner: Allon Kedem, Washington, D. C. For respondent: Victoria R. Ferres, Port Huron, Mich.; and Masha G. Hansford, Assistant to the Solicitor General, Department of Justice, Washington, D. C. (for United States, as amicus curiae.)
2023-10-02
Motion of the Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae and for divided argument GRANTED.
2023-09-07
2023-09-07
Record received electronically from the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. The remainder of the record is available on PACER.
2023-09-06
SET FOR ARGUMENT on Tuesday, October 31, 2023.
2023-09-06
Record requested from the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
2023-09-06
CIRCULATED.
2023-08-15
Motion of the Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae and for divided argument filed.
2023-08-15
2023-08-15
Brief amicus curiae of United States filed.
2023-08-09
2023-08-08
2023-06-30
2023-06-30
Brief amici curiae of Electronic Frontier Foundation, et al. filed. (Reprinted and resubmitted on 7/13/23).
2023-06-30
Brief amici curiae of Local Government Legal Center, et al. supporting neither party.
2023-06-30
Brief amicus curiae of Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression filed.
2023-06-30
2023-06-30
Brief amici curiae of The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Michigan filed.
2023-06-30
Brief amici curiae of Amicus First Amendment Clinics, Citizens and Journalists filed.
2023-06-23
2023-06-23
2023-05-08
Motion to extend the time to file the briefs on the merits is granted. The time to file the joint appendix and petitioner's brief on the merits is extended to and including June 23, 2023. The time to file respondent's brief on the merits is extended to and including August 8, 2023.
2023-05-01
Motion for an extension of time to file the briefs on the merits filed.
2023-04-24
Petition GRANTED.
2023-04-17
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 4/21/2023.
2023-03-22
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 4/14/2023.
2023-03-20
2023-03-03
2023-01-19
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including March 3, 2023.
2023-01-18
Motion to extend the time to file a response from February 3, 2023 to March 3, 2023, submitted to The Clerk.
2022-12-29
2022-10-07
Application (22A291) granted by Justice Kavanaugh extending the time to file until January 2, 2023.
2022-10-04
Application (22A291) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from November 3, 2022 to January 2, 2023, submitted to Justice Kavanaugh.

Attorneys

American Atheists, Inc.
Geoffrey Thomas BlackwellAmerican Atheists, Inc., Amicus
Amicus First Amendment Clinics, Citizens and Journalists
Gregg P. LeslieASU College of Law First Amendment Clinic, Amicus
Electronic Frontier Foundation, Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University and Woodhull Freedom Foundation
David Allen GreeneElectronic Frontier Foundation, Amicus
Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
Robert Lawrence Corn-RevereFoundation for Individual Rights and Expression, Amicus
James R. Freed
Victoria Read FerresFletcher, Fealko, Shoudy & Francis, P.C., Respondent
Kevin Lindke
Allon KedemArnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP, Petitioner
Local Government Legal Center, National Association of Counties, National League of Cities, and the International Municipal Lawyers Association
Caroline Payseur MackiePoyner Spruill LLP, Amicus
NetChoice, the Cato Institute, Chamber of Progress and the Computer and Communications Industry Association
David Morris GossettDavis Wright Tremaine LLP, Amicus
THE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION AND THE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF MICHIGAN
David D. ColeAmerican Civil Liberties Union Foundation, Amicus
The NRSC
Jeremy Joseph BroggiWiley Rein LLP, Amicus
The State of Tennessee, et al.
James Matthew RiceOffice of Tennessee Attorney General, Amicus
The State of Texas
Lanora Christine PettitOffice of the Texas Attorney General, Amicus
United States
Elizabeth B. PrelogarSolicitor General, Amicus