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Supreme Court Nominee Elena Kagan and The First Amendment

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By Alex Goldman

On Monday, Barack Obama selected Elena Kagan, current Solicitor General of the United States, as his Supreme Court nominee to fill the seat on the court left vacant by departing justice John Paul Stevens. While the media has released a torrent of analysis about everything from her educational background to her personal life, The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is, of course, most concerned with her scholarship and advocacy on First Amendment issues. Scholarly opinion on Kagan’s treatment of the First Amendment seem to be split.

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LepreCon36 Benefits CBLDF!

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LepreCon36 is an Arizona fan science fiction/fantasy convention dedicated to promoting the genre with an emphasis on art. It is scheduled for May 14-16, 2010 in Mesa, Arizona and will feature the very talented Charles Vess and the enormously popular George R.R. Martin as Guests. They will also have the notable illustrator and author, James A. Owen.

Proceeds from the Charity Auction will benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund! Click here for details on auction items!

Thanks to the LepreCon organizers for choosing the CBLDF as their charity of choice! Is your convention hosting events to benefit the CBLDF? Please email us at info@cbldf.org to let us know, and we’ll help spread the word!

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Premium – Strangers in Paradise Omnibus, Lettered Edition!

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Terry Moore and Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab have teamed up to create an extraordinary donation reward for the CBLDF – The Strangers in Paradise Omnibus Lettered Edition!

Limited to just 26 copies, with fewer than 10 left in the CBLDF’s stock, the SiP Omnibus Lettered Edition includes: One set of the strictly limited, and completely sold-out, three-volume hardcover SiP Omnibus edition, an original drawing by Terry Moore, and a bottle of “Parker Lily,” a fragrance based on the beloved series, created by Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, and also limited to just 26 bottles! This extremely limited edition is available for a $500 donation to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Get Yours Now!

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Bone Survives School Library Challenge!

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UPDATE: Jeff Smith responds to school board

Twincities.com reports that the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan school district has voted 10 to 1 that the graphic novel series Bone should not be banned in its schools.

The graphic novel series came under fire earlier this month when parent Ramona DeLay objected to the series’ placement in the school libraries because it contains depictions of adults smoking, drinking, and gambling.

Melinda Martin, the school district’s media specialist told twincities.com:

“It’s important to understand selection from censorship,” she said. “I respect her right to object to the series, but not for her to censor it for the rest. I feel you would be doing a disservice to our district if you remove this book from our elementary schools.”

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund applauds the school district for the fair hearing Bone received, and its decision to keep the series in its collection.

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CBLDF Supporter Auction Highlights!

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Did you know that you can support the CBLDF on eBay, with just one easy step? When listing your next auction, you can give 10% to 100% of the final auction value to the Fund by using eBay Giving Works! The CBLDF has been a recognized charity on eBay since 2007, our nonprofit ID is 19329. Check out what our supporters are auctioning to benefit the CBLDF by entering that ID into your eBay search, or by clicking here: http://bit.ly/givingworks.

The CBLDF is grateful to those supporters listing us on eBay, so we’re listing selected eBay Giving Works auctions on the lower right column of this page. We’ll also create update posts like this from time to time to highlight what’s available on eBay for the CBLDF. As long as you keep supporting the CBLDF on eBay, we’ll keep promoting those auctions here on CBLDF.org

After the jump, check out some highlights from what CBLDF supporters are offering this week!

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News Media Responds to EMA v. Schwarzenegger

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by Amy Long
for The Media Coalition

Over 100 newspapers, websites, and blogs reported on the Supreme Court’s decision to grant California’s petition for certiorari in EMA v. Schwarzenegger. Papers across the United States, Canada and Britain carried the news, which reached as far as New Zealand’s Top News, the Ethiopian Review and Thailand’s The Thaindian paper, which takes a view that is generally supportive of the state’s position (though it notes that Schwarzenegger “seemed a tad too pleased with the court’s decision”). The case will be taken up by the Court in its fall term. Full coverage after the jump.

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BPAL Debuts Neverwhere Fragrances!

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Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab continues their extraordinary series of fragrances based on the literary works of Neil Gaiman with Neverwhere, a set of fragrances based on the characters, locations, and ideas found within the popular Neil Gaiman novel!

Neverwhere boasts eleven fragrances, and proceeds from each bottle benefit the First Amendment legal work of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Since beginning the Neil Gaiman fragrance program, BPAL has donated proceeds in excess of $50,000 to the CBLDF’s efforts! Please visit them at: http://www.blackphoenixalchemylab.com

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Supreme Court to Decide Whether States Can Regulate Violent Video Games

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On Monday, the Supreme Court agreed to review a ruling that the First Amendment bars restrictions on video games with violent themes. The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund has actively opposed such restrictions, including participating in a 2008 friend-of-the-court (aka amicus) brief filed by the Media Coalition, addressing this same case. In hearing this case, the Supreme Court will decide whether or not it will adopt a new constitutional standard that allows states to ban violent content.

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CBLDF Attends LA Times Festival of Books & Stumptown Comics Fest!

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This weekend, the CBLDF team will be hitting the West Coast to meet supporters in Los Angeles at the LA Times Festival of Books and Portland, Oregon at the Stumptown Comics Festival!

Beanworld creator Larry Marder will join the Fund in LA, signing books and making sketches to benefit the Fund’s legal work. The CBLDF will also have a vast array of donation rewards, including books signed by Neil Gaiman, Geoff Johns, and more, plus fragrances from our friends at Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab!

In Portland, we’re hosting a membership drive, co-hosting signings with creators including Paul Pope, Craig Thompson & Mike Allred, and raffling off a copy of Adobe Illustrator CS4!

If you’re in Los Angeles or Portland, come on out and support the Fund!

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Supreme Court Strikes Down Overbroad Content Law in U.S. v. Stevens

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By Alex Goldman

In a ruling on Tuesday, the Supreme Court voted 8-1 to strike down a 1999 federal law that criminalizes the possession or sale of “depictions of animal cruelty,” saying that the statute is overbroad and it violates the First Amendment. The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, who participated as a member of Media Coalition’s amicus group, welcomes this important ruling as an affirmation of the First Amendment’s guarantee to free speech.

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