Patrick J. O'COnnOr v. Robert W. Steeves

How courts have described this case

Verbatim parenthetical descriptions written by other courts when citing this decision. Ranked by citation-network relevance.

• noting that fire chiefs commentary on available fire protection was plainly a matter of inherent concern
• finding plaintiffs disclosures of alleged public corruption occupy highest rung within First Amendment hierarchy and weigh heavily in favor of First Amendment protection against retaliation
• mandating de novo review of public-concern determinations, given importance of First Amendment values involved
• “Where a public employee speaks out on a topic which is clearly a legitimate matter of inherent concern to the electorate, the court may eschew further inquiry into the employee’s motives as revealed by the ‘form and context’ of the expression.”
• weighing plaintiff’s “motives for speaking out” in Pickering balance
• guoting Connick, 461 U.S. at 147-48

Source: CourtListener parenthetical corpus (CC0).