First Amendment Freedom of Speech and Expression: Ninth Circuit Holds that California Penal Code Section 148.6 Violates the First Amendment in <i>Chaker v. Crogan</i>

The Ninth Circuit Court ruled that California Penal Code section 148.6, which criminalized knowingly filing false allegations of misconduct against peace officers, violated the First Amendment. The court determined that the law impermissibly targeted criticism of police officers, constituting a content-based restriction on speech, and thus was unconstitutional.