Press Releases

Terre Haute, Indiana – On Wednesday, the Supreme Court of the United States found that a federal statute cannot be used to criminalize “gratuities” received by state and local officials. The James Madison Center for Free Speech had filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of Mayor James Snyder, to protect First Amendment free speech and free association from being criminalized by the federal government.

Unanimous US Supreme Court Rules President Trump Cannot be Disqualified from the 2024 Ballot Terre Haute, Indiana - On Monday, The Supreme Court of the United States unanimously held that states cannot remove President Donald Trump from the presidential ballot. The James Madison Center for Free Speech had submitted an amicus brief to the Court in support of President Trump in this case.

Terre Haute, Indiana – On Friday, the James Madison Center filed a friend of the court brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of former Mayor James Snyder of Portage, Indiana, to overturn his conviction for normal, everyday bidding practices. The federal government convicted Mayor Snyder of corruption without proving an actual quid pro quo that is required to show genuine corruption under a law. This would make it illegal to do business with other people who you know or associate with who might also bid for municipal contracts. The federal Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals erroneously upheld the government’s version of the law and would make millions of people potential criminals at the state and local level. Imagine a public spirited citizen who writes a quick note on a donation to a state candidate: “Thanks for supporting our troops!” Under the government’s version of the law, this “gratuity” would be a crime, even though there was no illegal, corrupt bargain.

On December 19, 2023, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that President Trump was disqualified from holding the office of President under Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution because he “engaged in insurrection” regarding the January 6th attack on the US Capitol. Therefore, the court ordered that the Colorado Secretary of State could not list him as a candidate on the 2024 presidential primary ballot. But Section Three’s prohibition against having “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” requires a direct, overt act of insurrection, not incitement through speech. The Colorado Supreme Court erred when it held that mere incitement of insurrection was enough.