Why Five Police Officers Can Sue the Chicago Sun-Times

By: Jonathan Peters | CJR

In what could prove to be a consequential decision, the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ruled Friday that the Chicago Sun-Times improperly obtained and disclosed “personal information” from motor vehicle records, and that the paper’s actions were not protected by the First Amendment. The decision by a three-judge panel allows a lawsuit against the paper, brought by five Chicago police officers who claim their privacy rights were violated, to proceed.