<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto">Courtesy of the <i>Star Tribune </i>(Minneapolis, Minnesota) at:<div><br></div><div><a href="http://www.startribune.com/judge-president-can-t-block-critics-on-twitter/483479961/">http://www.startribune.com/judge-president-can-t-block-critics-on-twitter/483479961/</a><br><div><div><br></div><div>———————————————</div><div><br></div><div><h1 class="article-headline" itemprop="headline" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 12px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 42px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: "Whitman Display Condensed Bold", Georgia, Times, serif; line-height: 42px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Judge: President can't block critics on Twitter</h1><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 21px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 21px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">NEW YORK — A federal judge in New York says President Donald Trump violates the First Amendment by blocking critics on Twitter for political speech.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 21px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald (rees BUHK'-wahld) in Manhattan issued the written decision Wednesday.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 21px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In ruling, she said no government official — including the president — is above the law.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 21px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The case was brought last July by the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University and seven individuals blocked by Trump after criticizing the Republican president.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 21px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">After a hearing this year, the judge had suggested that Trump mute rather than block some of his critics. At the time, a Justice Department attorney agreed that muting would enable Trump to avoid a tweet he doesn't want to read.</span></p></div><div><br></div><div>———————————————<br><br><div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)</span></div><div><a href="http://www.moscowcares.com/" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000">http://www.MoscowCares.com</font></a></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Tom Hansen</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Moscow, Idaho</span></div></div><div><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>