La. Judge Denies DOJ Motion to Stay His Social Media Injunction, Pending Appeal

U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty for Western Louisiana in Monroe denied DOJ’s motion to stay his July 4 injunction pending an appeal to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, said his memorandum ruling Monday (docket 3:22-cv-01213). The injunction bars dozens of Biden administration defendants from conversing with social media platforms for the purpose of suppressing right-leaning content.

The defendants maintain they will be irreparably injured absent a stay, and that the balance of the equities weighs heavily in the defendants’ favor of granting a stay, but Doughty, a President Donald Trump appointee, disagrees, said his memorandum ruling. The plaintiffs’ First Amendment free speech rights “by far” outweigh the defendants’ interests, it said.

DOJ, in its motion for a stay, had asked Doughty to rule on it by noon CDT Monday, and he largely obliged with the request. Doughty gave the plaintiffs until 8 a.m. CDT to file an opposition, and their opposition brief was filed Sunday. DOJ didn't immediately comment.