A judge in Mississippi overturned her order on Wednesday that a newspaper take down an opinion that criticized local officials. This came just days after the city that was suing dropped the case that led to the order.
A lot of people who support free speech said that the judge’s order was a clear violation of the paper’s First Amendment rights.
The Clarksdale Press Register was given a restraining order by Chancery Judge Crystal Wise Martin last week. It told the newspaper to take down an opinion from February 8th called “Secrecy, Deception Erode Public Trust” from its website. The article said the city should have told the newspaper about a meeting the board held to talk about a possible tax on tobacco, marijuana, and booze.
Monday, Mayor Chuck Espy asked the board of commissioners to drop the suit. He said that the paper’s owner had offered to run an explanation. But Wyatt Emmerich, owner of Emmerich Newspapers, said that offer was made before the city sued and was no longer on the table.
According to a text message Emmerich sent to the city attorney, he offered to explain that the council said the lack of notice wasn’t an attempt to hide the meeting. It was also made clear that a line that asked if there was “kick-back from the community” should have read “push back.”
The city sued the column, saying it was slanderous and made it harder for the city to talk to state lawmakers about the tax. The newspaper and other people who didn’t agree with the decision said that the order was a clear case of prior restraint that went against the First Amendment.
A lot of press groups and people who support free speech across the country, like the National Press Club and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, were against the order. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression agreed to go to court with the newspaper.
