It’s Your Constitutional Right To Be As Rude As You Want To Be

Ed. Note: Welcome to our daily feature Trivia Question of the Day!

Which state supreme court recently struck down as unconstitutional a policy banning rude comments at town meetings?

Hint: The policy read, in part, “All remarks and dialogue in public meetings must be respectful and courteous, free of rude, personal or slanderous remarks. Inappropriate language and/or shouting will not be tolerated.”

But the court found, “Although civility, of course, is to be encouraged, it cannot be required regarding the content of what may be said in a public comment session of a governmental meeting.

“What can be required is that the public comment session be conducted in an ‘orderly and peaceable’ manner, including designating when public comment shall be allowed in the governmental meeting, the time limits for each person speaking, and rules preventing speakers from disrupting others and removing those speakers if they do.”

See the answer on the next page.