No. 25-284

Leila Green Little, et al. v. Llano County, Texas, et al.

Lower Court: Fifth Circuit
Docketed: 2025-09-11
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Amici (7)
Tags: book-censorship first-amendment free-speech government-action library-access viewpoint-discrimination
Key Terms:
FirstAmendment Trademark JusticiabilityDoctri
Latest Conference: 2025-12-05
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether book-removal decisions by government officials in a county library are subject to scrutiny under the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

At the urging of a handful of private citizens, government officials in Llano County, Texas , removed seventeen books from the county library’s shelves. A district court found that th ose book -removal decisions were motivated by a desire to censor particular viewpoints . The question presented is: Whether those book -removal decisions are subject to scrutiny under the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment.

Docket Entries

2025-12-08
Petition DENIED.
2025-11-12
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 12/5/2025.
2025-11-10
Reply of petitioners Leila Green Little, et al. filed. (Distributed)
2025-11-10
Reply of Leila Green Little, et al. submitted.
2025-10-24
Brief of respondents Llano County, Texas, et al. in opposition filed.
2025-10-24
Brief of respondents Llano County et al. in opposition filed.
2025-10-24
Brief of Llano County et al. in opposition submitted.
2025-10-14
Amicus brief of PEN American Center, Inc. submitted.
2025-10-14
Brief amici curiae of Louisiana Citizens Against Censorship, et al. filed.
2025-10-14
Brief amici curiae of First Amendment Law Professors filed.
2025-10-14
Brief amici curiae of American Library Association, et al. filed.
2025-10-14
Brief amicus curiae of PEN American Center, Inc. filed.
2025-10-14
Brief amici curiae of Penguin Random House LLC, et al. filed.
2025-10-14
Brief amici curiae of The National Coalition Against Censorship, et al. filed.
2025-10-14
Amicus brief of The National Coalition Against Censorship and Steven Pico submitted.
2025-10-14
Amicus brief of Penguin Random House LLC, Hachette Book Group, Inc., HarperCollins Publishers LLC, Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC, Simon & Schuster, LLC, Sourcebooks, LLC, and the Authors Guild submitted.
2025-10-14
Amicus brief of Louisiana Citizens Against Censorship and the Louisiana Library Association submitted.
2025-10-14
Amicus brief of American Library Association, Freedom to Read Foundation, and Texas Library Association submitted.
2025-10-07
Brief amicus curiae of Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression filed.
2025-10-07
Amicus brief of Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression submitted.
2025-10-02
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including October 24, 2025.
2025-09-30
Motion to extend the time to file a response from October 14, 2025 to October 24, 2025, submitted to The Clerk.
2025-09-30
Motion of Llano County et al. for an extension of time submitted.
2025-09-09
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due October 14, 2025)
2025-07-28
Application (25A116) granted by Justice Alito extending the time to file until September 22, 2025.
2025-07-24
Application (25A116) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from August 21, 2025 to September 22, 2025, submitted to Justice Alito.

Attorneys

American Library Association, Freedom to Read Foundation, and Texas Library Association
Kevin Todd ShookFrost Brown Todd LLP, Amicus
Kevin Todd ShookFrost Brown Todd LLP, Amicus
First Amendment Law Professors
Gautam Singh HansCornell Law School, Amicus
Gautam Singh HansCornell Law School, Amicus
Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
Robert Lawrence Corn-RevereFoundation for Individual Rights and Expression, Amicus
Robert Lawrence Corn-RevereFoundation for Individual Rights and Expression, Amicus
Leila Green Little, et al.
Elizabeth Barchas PrelogarCooley LLP, Petitioner
Elizabeth Barchas PrelogarCooley LLP, Petitioner
Llano County et al.
Jonathan F. MitchellMitchell Law PLLC, Respondent
Jonathan F. MitchellMitchell Law PLLC, Respondent
Louisiana Citizens Against Censorship and the Louisiana Library Association
Bruce Warfield HamiltonTulane First Amendment Law Clinic, Amicus
Bruce Warfield HamiltonTulane First Amendment Law Clinic, Amicus
PEN American Center, Inc.
Amer Shahid AhmedGibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Amicus
Amer Shahid AhmedGibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Amicus
Penguin Random House LLC, Hachette Book Group, Inc., HarperCollins Publishers LLC, Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC, Simon & Schuster, LLC, Sourcebooks, LLC, and the Authors Guild
Frederick Jay SperlingArentFox Schiff LLP, Amicus
Frederick Jay SperlingArentFox Schiff LLP, Amicus
The National Coalition Against Censorship and Steven Pico
Peter Blackmer SteffensenSMU Dedman School of Law First Amendment Clinic, Amicus
Peter Blackmer SteffensenSMU Dedman School of Law First Amendment Clinic, Amicus