A group of people using smart phones
Multi-ethnic group of young people sitting on stairs and using smartphones. Young smiling man receives notifications on smart phone. Social media and digital online concept. Social media and people network technology concept.

Law’s Andrew Geronimo examines recent Beachwood ruling

Judge denies Beachwood police chief’s attempt to identify anonymous commenter
Cleveland SceneAndrew Geronimo, director of the First Amendment Clinic at the School of Law, discussed a recent ruling that found comments made by two fictitious Facebook accounts and anonymous emails sent to Beachwood officials are protected speech and the city and its police chief Katherine McLaughlin cannot use subpoenas to try and identify the person behind the messages. “Dangers to free speech are often filled with the hope that whomever the anonymous commenter is, will be too scared,” he said. But “that anonymous right to speech, as the court said, is at the bedrock of our constitutional rights.”