Free Speech on TikTok

Amanda Carravallah is a TikTok influencer who is outraged by the Supreme Court’s decision overruling Roe v. Wade. To document her dissent, she created yard signs with provocative language which she placed on her front lawn in Livonia, and filmed herself on TikTok dancing in front of her house in a swimsuit as an assertion of control over her own body. Several neighbors, including a Wayne County family court judge, took umbrage at Ms. Carravallah’s protests and called the police. One of the neighbors then sought, and was able to obtain, a personal protection order (PPO) from another judge on the Wayne County family court. The order was issued “ex parte”—without a hearing allowing Ms. Carravallah to be heard or present evidence—and it prohibited her from appearing “in sight” of her neighbor, essentially placing her under house arrest, given that the neighbor lives across the street. In July 2022 the ACLU of Michigan filed a motion to terminate the PPO, explaining that Ms. Carravallah’s activities were fully protected by the First Amendment. Because one of the neighbors involved in the matter was a Wayne County judge, the case was transferred to Oakland County Circuit Court. After holding three hearings in the matter, in September 2022 Judge Kameshia Gant agreed with our arguments and terminated the PPO. In January 2023 Judge Gant denied our motion for attorneys’ fees but required the neighbor to reimburse us for litigation costs. (Gordon v. Caravallah; ACLU Attorneys Phil Mayor and Dan Korobkin; Cooperating Attorneys Allison Kriger and Mark Kriger.)