Fighting words
CLEP American Government, Chapter 20 Fighting words Fighting words are personally abusive words addressed face to face in circumstances likely to provoke an immediate violent reaction from the person targeted. The category comes from Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire, but later decisions have treated it narrowly. A rude remark, profanity, hateful idea, or insult to government […]
Defamation
CLEP American Government, Chapter 20 Defamation Defamation law protects reputation from harmful false assertions of fact, while the First Amendment preserves room for criticism, investigation, and honest error. State rules vary, but a beginner should look for a statement about the plaintiff, communication to at least one other person, falsity, the required degree of fault, […]
