Was Fred Phelps Democracy’s Necessary Evil?

You Don’t Have to Like the Man or the Westboro Baptist Church, But Their Antics Strengthened the First Amendment for All of Us

It has been written that the safeguards of liberty have often been forged in controversies involving not very nice people. If that is true—and the facts support the premise—then the actions of Fred Phelps and the church he led went a long way in forging liberty.

Fred Phelps died on March 19. Few tears were shed. Obituaries labeled him a preacher of hate. Reverend Phelps led the Westboro Baptist Church, a group known for its virulent opposition to homosexuality and for picketing a variety of events, including the funerals of military …

What the Devil Is Up With People Who Believe in Satan?

When Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia Professed a Belief In Lucifer, It Caused Gasps and Titters Among the Elite. But His Point Should Be Taken Seriously.

When U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia recently told New York magazine that he believed in the devil, some readers seemed to view this statement as further proof that Scalia …

Go Ahead: Keep Your Marriage Secret

In California, Confidential Marriage Is a Proud 135-Year-Old Tradition, and the Supreme Court’s Prop 8 Ruling Might Give It New Relevance

Pssst. Wanna know a secret?

I’m going to let you in on confidential marriage, an only-in-California concoction that is little known but deeply relevant to today’s debates about marriage.

Confidential marriage is …

Legal Journalist-Turned-Scholar Henry Weinstein

A Mustard Maven With a Conscience

Henry Weinstein is a professor of law and literary journalism at UC Irvine; previously, he spent 30 years as a Los Angeles Times reporter, much of it covering legal affairs …

Supreme Court Journalist Linda Greenhouse

What I Don’t Miss About The New York Times

Linda Greenhouse covered the U.S. Supreme Court for The New York Times between 1978 and 2007. Currently, she is the Knight Distinguished Journalist in Residence and Joseph Goldstein Lecturer in …

What Will That Feisty SCOTUS Do Next?

Journalist Linda Greenhouse Assesses the Trajectory of the Roberts-Era Supreme Court

In three decades of covering the Supreme Court for The New York Times, Linda Greenhouse wrote about 2,700 cases. In front of a large crowd at the Skirball Cultural Center, …