"Supreme Court to Tackle First Amendment Battle in 'Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton' Case"

As we kick off the new year, the US Supreme Court is gearing up for a significant January argument session. One of the major headlines revolves around the case of *Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton*, scheduled for January 15, 2025. This case involves a challenge to a Texas law that mandates websites to verify the age of their users if at least one-third of their content is deemed “harmful to minors,” such as pornography. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit upheld this law, but the challengers argue that it violates the First Amendment by imposing a burden on adults' access to such content. The Supreme Court will delve into the appropriate standard of review for this law, with the challengers advocating for a more stringent test known as strict scrutiny. In addition to this First Amendment case, the January argument session will address several other critical issues. On January 13, the court will hear *Hewitt v. United States* and *Duffey v. United States*, consolidated cases that question whether sentence reductions under the First Step Act apply to defendants who were originally sentenced before the law was enacted but were later resentenced after its enactment. The same day, the court will also consider *Stanley v. City of Sanford*, which pertains to whether a former employee loses her right to sue under the Americans with Disabilities Act for discrimination in benefits earned during her employment. Other notable cases include *Thompson v. United States* on January 14, which examines whether a federal law prohibiting false statements to influence financial institutions also covers misleading but not false statements. The court will also hear *Waetzig v. Halliburton Energy Services* on the same day, focusing on whether a district court can reopen a case that has been voluntarily dismissed. Later in the month, on January 21, the court will tackle *FDA v. R.J. Reynolds Vapor Co.*, a case that explores whether a manufacturer can file a petition for review in a circuit where it does not reside or have its principal place of business. Another significant case, *Barnes v. Felix*, scheduled for January 22, will determine whether courts should use the “moment of the threat” doctrine to assess the reasonableness of a police officer’s actions in claims of excessive force under the Fourth Amendment. In other news, the Biden administration has recently requested the Supreme Court to allow the enforcement of an anti-money-laundering law, highlighting ongoing efforts to address financial crimes. Retired US Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer is also set to sit with an appeals court in January, marking a notable return to judicial duties for the former justice. Thank you for listening to the SCOTUS News Tracker podcast. Don't forget to subscribe for the latest updates and in-depth analysis on the US Supreme Court. This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.