No. 21-227

Venus Y. Springs v. North Carolina State Bar

Lower Court: North Carolina
Docketed: 2021-08-17
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Response Waived
Tags: civil-rights constitutional-rights corporate-litigation due-process evidence first-amendment free-speech judicial-discipline north-carolina standing
Latest Conference: 2021-10-08
Question Presented (from Petition)

I. Whether the N.C. Court of Appeals erred in holding that Springs' posting of a deposition video --long after the proceedings were concluded -- in order to educate poor, unrepresented litigants in an entertaining manner, namely through commentary on how to identify deceit, is so unflattering to Ally Financial's corporate representative that it is not protected by the First Amendment in conflict with 11 state courts of last resort and federal court of appeals that have addressed the issue.

II. Whether the failure of the North Carolina tribunal to establish any evidence at all to support their grievance against Springs rendered the discipline unconstitutional pursuant to Thompson v Louisville, 362 US 199, 200 [1960] which found it a violation of constitutional due process to convict someone on a record completely devoid of evidence, although the punishment be only payment of a $10 fine.

Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether the posting of a deposition video to educate pro se litigants is protected by the First Amendment

Docket Entries

2021-10-12
Petition DENIED.
2021-09-22
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/8/2021.
2021-09-15
Waiver of right of respondent N.C. State Bar to respond filed.
2021-08-12
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due September 16, 2021)

Attorneys

N.C. State Bar
David Richard JohnsonThe North Carolina State Bar, Respondent
Venus Springs
Herman Kaufman — Petitioner