No. 24-891

Warren Balogh v. Chief Al Thomas, Jr., et al.

Lower Court: Fourth Circuit
Docketed: 2025-02-19
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Response Waived
Tags: civil-rights first-amendment government-violence monell-liability qualified-immunity speech-rights
Key Terms:
Antitrust FirstAmendment
Latest Conference: 2025-04-04
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether the First Amendment protects speech amid violence left deliberately unchecked by local government

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

Whether the First Amendment protects speech amid violence left deliberately unchecked by the local government because such violence serves as useful pretext to suppress speech the local authorities hate? Whether this Court can ignore the extraordinary case of a local government which temporarily abdicates its monopoly on violence to ensure anarchic conditions enabling it to dishonor the First Amendment? Whether the use of some defensive violence by protestors overwhelmed by government favored counter -protestors forfeits any First Amendment claim by any persons associated with the protestors? Whether police officers who deliberately abdicate their responsibility to maintain order — and in fact take additional steps to foment more violence— are entitled to qualified immunity? Whether a municipality escapes Monell liability where the final policy maker watches his police force enhance violent conditions by standing down in the face of known criminal anarchists?

Docket Entries

2025-04-07
Petition DENIED.
2025-03-19
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 4/4/2025.
2025-03-14
Waiver of City of Charlottesville of right to respond submitted.
2025-03-14
Waiver of right of respondent City of Charlottesville to respond filed.
2025-03-03
Waiver of Al Thomas, Jr. of right to respond submitted.
2025-03-03
Waiver of right of respondent Al Thomas, Jr. to respond filed.
2025-02-26
Waiver of Chief Al Thomas, et al. of right to respond submitted.
2025-02-26
Waiver of right of respondent Lt. Becky Crannis-Curl to respond filed.
2025-02-14

Attorneys

Al Thomas, Jr.
David Patrick CorriganHarman Claytor Corrigan & Wellman, Respondent
Chief Al Thomas, et al.
Erika Lauren MaleyVirginia Office of the Attorney General, Respondent
City of Charlottesville
Richard Hustis MilnorZunka, Milnor & Carter, Ltd., Respondent
Warren Balogh
Glen Keith AllenGLEN K. ALLEN LAW, Petitioner