# What does the law say about the First Amendment and criticizing public officials and their families?

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/newell-normand-2482167/what-does-the-law-say-about-the-first-amendment-and-criticizing-public-officials-and-their-families
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/newell-normand-2482167/what-does-the-law-say-about-the-first-amendment-and-criticizing-public-officials-and-their-families.md
Podcast: [Newell Normand](https://stenobird.com/podcast/newell-normand-2482167)
Published: 2026-06-09T18:03:44+00:00
Episode link: https://player.amperwavepodcasting.com?feed-link=https%3A%2F%2Frss.amperwave.net%2Fv2%2Fepisode%2F8441110_2026-06-09-183510
Audio file: https://serve.castfire.com/audio/8441110/8441110_2026-06-09-183510.128.mp3?rssID=3856
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Duration seconds: 2246

## Resource

Can St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Smith win reelection after allegedly beating up a vocal critic of his? The sheriff suggested podcaster Bobby Couvillon shamed his wife. What does the law say about the First Amendment and criticizing public officials and their families? And whose side are you on in this controversy – the sheriff or the critic? Lyrissa Lydsky, Professor of Media and First Amendment Law, joins Dave Cohen to expound on the subject.

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## Transcript

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