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In 8-1 SCOTUS Ruling, Chief Justice John Roberts Is The Only One To Side Against Christian Students Whose Free Speech Was Trampled
The Federalist ^ | 03/09/2021 | Jordan Davidson

Posted on 03/09/2021 7:12:42 AM PST by SeekAndFind

Chief Justice John Roberts was the only dissenter in the U.S Supreme Court’s most recent ruling favoring a couple of Christian students who challenged their university for restricting when, where, and how they could speak about their faith and disseminate materials on campus.

Today's 8-1 decision in Uzuegbunam v. Preczewski marks the first time Chief Justice John Roberts has ever been the sole dissenting justice during his entire tenure. https://t.co/6Ux9HvXiDL

— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) March 8, 2021

Uzuegbunam et al. v. Preczewski et al. first materialized after Chike Uzuegbunam, a student at Georgia Gwinnett College, was stopped by campus police for handing out religious materials on campus, a reported violation of the school’s “Freedom of Expression Policy,” which limited distributions and other expressions to free speech zones only with permission from the administration. Even after Uzuegbunam moved to the designated areas with permission, however, campus police attempted to stop him from speaking and handing out religious literature, prompting him and another student, Joseph Bradford, to take legal action against the university for violating their First and 14th Amendment rights and seek nominal damages.

The students’ attempts to sue the school, however, were shot down by both a district court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit after Georgia Gwinnett College changed its “Freedom of Expression” policy to remove barriers on when and where students could speak on campus and filed a motion to dismiss the case as moot. The Supreme Court took up the case after Uzuegbunam and Bradford noted that their rights were still violated no matter what the university modified its policy to reflect and still required a ruling on nominal damages.

Justice Clarence Thomas authored the opinion of the court, agreeing with the students’ case.

“Applying this principle here is straightforward. For purposes of this appeal, it is undisputed that Uzuegbunam experienced a completed violation of his constitutional rights when respondents enforced their speech policies against him. Because ‘every violation [of a right] imports damage,’ Webb, 29 F. Cas., at 509, nominal damages can redress Uzuegbunam’s injury even if he cannot or chooses not to quantify that harm in economic terms,” Thomas concluded.

Roberts, however, in his first solo dissent, wrote that the court was acting as “a moot court” in deciding this case and their ruling.

“When plaintiffs like Uzuegbunam and Bradford allege neither actual damages nor the prospect of future injury, an award of
nominal damages does not change their status or condition at all. Such an award instead represents a judicial determination that the plaintiffs’ interpretation of the law is correct — nothing more,” Roberts stated.


Jordan Davidson is a staff writer at The Federalist. She graduated from Baylor University where she majored in political science and minored in journalism.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Government; News/Current Events; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: christianstudents; college; freespeech; johnroberts; johnrobertsdissent; justiceroberts; robertsdissent; scotus
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To: SeekAndFind

There is something seriously, seriously wrong with this POS...


21 posted on 03/09/2021 7:30:38 AM PST by Common Sense 101
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To: Leaning Right

TSA
DHS


22 posted on 03/09/2021 7:32:24 AM PST by EEGator
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To: ConservativeInPA

“Who owns Roberts?“

The Uniparty, of course. The guy has been a proud Uniparty (R) man since Mr. Uniparty himself, King George II nominated him.


23 posted on 03/09/2021 7:32:40 AM PST by hardspunned (Former GOP globalist stooge)
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To: napscoordinator

There is a difference with Muslims tho. They don’t have a religion. It is a death cult.


24 posted on 03/09/2021 7:32:59 AM PST by ConservativeInPA (“When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty.” ― Thomas Jefferson)
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To: SeekAndFind

Chief Justice Benedict Arnold II is George W. Bush’s legacy.


25 posted on 03/09/2021 7:33:21 AM PST by Pilgrim's Progress (http://www.baptistbiblebelievers.com/BYTOPICS/tabid/335/Default.aspx D)
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To: napscoordinator

This is what real free speech and real religious freedom is.


26 posted on 03/09/2021 7:33:45 AM PST by Ninaq (Nina)
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To: dfwgator
-- She couldn't have been any worse. --

Hah. She could have been much worse, alhough unlikely to have been elevated to CJ.

The major political parties give us garbage candidates. What to do? Gore would have been worse than Bush. Kerry too. Romney, Ryan, McCain ... ugh.

Garbage POTUS yields garbage justices. At this point the government is 80% or more rot.

27 posted on 03/09/2021 7:34:13 AM PST by Cboldt
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To: SeekAndFind
John Roberts is GW Bush's version of his father's David Souter. Both justices violated their judicial oath and demonstrated themselves to be nothing more than mere politicians, their personal values derived from the "three dis-es of politics":

Disreputable
Dishonest
Dishonorable

28 posted on 03/09/2021 7:35:46 AM PST by glennaro ("Until it's safe" means "never" (Dennis Prager))
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To: sasquatch

Thanks. I should have posted the comment to which I was responding to allow more people to connect the dots.

However, I like the line attributed to More in Man for All Seasons “I trust I make myself obscure.” (I just looked that one up as to source—but it does fit like a glove).


29 posted on 03/09/2021 7:36:11 AM PST by Hieronymus (“I shall drink to the Pope, if you please, still, to conscience first, and to the Pope afterwards.”)
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To: VeniVidiVici

Yep. To use hyperbole to make a point: What if the penalty was expulsion from school? Would they have a damages claim, “even though the school policy is NOW different?

I don’t think he’s necessarily a dumbass though. I just think he thinks enough of the rest of us are. i.e. I think he’s owned by someone.


30 posted on 03/09/2021 7:38:00 AM PST by cuban leaf (We killed our economy and damaged our culture. In 2021 we will pine for the salad days of 2020.)
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To: SeekAndFind
If the 2020 election taught us anything it is that the people who purport to run the country are not really the people who run the country. Donald Trump clearly never controlled more than a fraction of the powers of the Presidency. Joe Biden controls none at all. John Roberts votes the way he is told... by somebody. I’m not going to lose sleep over his strange votes, because he is not one of us and cannot be expected to rule logically.
31 posted on 03/09/2021 7:39:31 AM PST by Mr. Jeeves ([CTRL]-[GALT]-[DELETE])
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To: Hieronymus

Never heard that one, will steal shamelessly.


32 posted on 03/09/2021 7:39:49 AM PST by Aevery_Freeman (The Mob rises; the Monarchy trembles; the blade sings its lone song...)
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To: Cboldt
“We could have had Harriet Miers.”

Robert’s was already on the bench when she was nominated. Alito replaced her and he has been solid.

33 posted on 03/09/2021 7:40:23 AM PST by circlecity
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To: ConservativeInPA

“Who owns Roberts?”

Lucifer


34 posted on 03/09/2021 7:42:30 AM PST by Bshaw (A nefarious deceit is upon us all!)
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To: SeekAndFind

Roberts thought the matter was moot. A position more than a tad different from what is represented in the article.


35 posted on 03/09/2021 7:44:58 AM PST by taxcontrol (You are entitled to your opinion, no matter how wrong it is.)
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To: EEGator

It’s not widely known, but George W. Bush destroyed trades education in public schools. His ‘No Child Left Behind’ Act tested for math and English, but NOT for the trades.

And woe to the principal whose school scored low on NCLB tests. In the interests of self-preservation, most principals and school superintendents eliminated their trades programs. The trades students were then shoved into advanced math and English classes...classes they neither wanted nor needed.

The urban high school where I taught had a superb carpentry program. It was probably the best one in the state. It’s gone now, thanks to George W. Bush and his fellow travelers in Congress.


36 posted on 03/09/2021 7:51:06 AM PST by Leaning Right (I have already previewed or do not wish to preview this composition.)
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To: ConservativeInPA

“Who owns Roberts?
_____________________________

The $64,000 dollar question!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


37 posted on 03/09/2021 7:52:20 AM PST by bantam
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To: SeekAndFind

His picture should be next to POS in the dictionary.


38 posted on 03/09/2021 7:52:44 AM PST by Agatsu77
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To: ConservativeInPA

Roberts is a closet homosexual and a lifelong statist leftist. No blackmail is needed.


39 posted on 03/09/2021 7:55:11 AM PST by DesertRhino (Dog is man's best friend, and moslems hate dogs. Add that up. .... )
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To: ConservativeInPA

“Who owns Roberts?”

The Liberals and especially the democratic party.


40 posted on 03/09/2021 7:57:48 AM PST by kagnew
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