Fundamentals of the First Amendment: Police Liability

Duration

1 Hour

About the Course

This course provides law enforcement officers with a foundational understanding of First Amendment principles as they relate to their daily duties and interactions with the public. Taught by an attorney with nearly 20 years of experience defending police officers in civil rights claims, the course aims to help officers make informed, split-second decisions regarding constitutional issues and understand the consequences of their actions in First Amendment scenarios. Key topics include police liability in civil rights lawsuits (42 USC Section 1983, personal liability, damages), qualified immunity and judicial precedent, the fundamentals of protected speech (including expressive activity and relevant Supreme Court cases like Snyder v. Phelps and Clark v. Stone), forum analysis (traditional, limited, and non-public forums), content neutrality, time, place, and manner restrictions, and specific considerations for interacting with First Amendment auditors.

Your Instructor

Casey Crane

Casey Crane joined Farrar Bates Berexa in 2017. Her practice focuses on general civil litigation, including municipal liability defense, civil rights defense, police liability defense, governmental tort liability defense, employment law and discrimination, and trial and appellate litigation. She has had tremendous success in prevailing on summary judgment and negotiating favorable settlement agreements for her clients.

Prior to joining Farrar Bates Berexa, Casey worked as counsel for the commercial litigation and employment law departments at the McKellar Hyde, PLC firm. She also previously served as an associate for Meyers Nave, specializing in First Amendment and public law matters for public agency clients.

Casey obtained her Doctor of Jurisprudence in 2006 from the John Marshall Law School in Chicago, Illinois, and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2002 from the University of North Alabama. She is licensed to practice in three states, as well as in both the Sixth and Ninth Circuits of the United States Court of Appeals.