CBS exhausted the Texas courts. They went from the trial court to the intermediate court to the highest court. Floyd Abrams cbscourtexhaust Change image and share on social
I think we have some serious problems now, but, if you look back over the last thirty or forty years that my book deals with, I think we are in better shape now than we would have been if all of those cases had not come down. Floyd Abrams backbookcase share on social
CBS fought very hard on this because it believed and believes that there's a principle at stake here. The principle is that Dan Rather doesn't work for the police, and that people that speak to Dan Rather understand that he's a journalist and not a police agent. Floyd Abrams agentbelievecbs share on social
No other country in the world gives protection like that, but it is not absolute protection. People sometimes meet that high burden and win libel suits, and in those cases I think they ought to win. Floyd Abrams absoluteburdencase Change image and share on social
I think that the very fact that CBS fought and fought and fought in Texas, in New York. Floyd Abrams cbsfactfight Change image and share on social
It has something to do with the facts and the law and who the judges are. So I think lawyers sometimes exaggerate their role in winning and losing. Lawyers do have a role, and a major role, but they're not the only players in this game. Floyd Abrams exaggeratefactgame share on social
I try to do that in this book without preaching - to try to do as you just said that you really have to defend the First Amendment rights of everybody. Floyd Abrams amendmentbookdefend Change image and share on social
The government would be able to go to court with respect to newspaper articles, broadcast pieces and the like that they thought were bad or harmful or even against the government and try to block them. Floyd Abrams articlebadblock share on social
I really try at least to come back and answer the question as to whether that was really the best way to do that and was I really thinking straight and how did my opponents behave and how did the judges behave was needed. Floyd Abrams answerbackbehave share on social
If the word gets out, if the perception exists that by speaking to a CBS journalist you are, therefore, inevitably, immediately speaking to the police, I don't think there's any doubt but that people won't talk. And, therefore, the public won't learn. Floyd Abrams cbsdoubtexist share on social