No Joke: Supreme Court Rejects Parody Appeal Backed by The Onion

The US Supreme Court turned away an appeal from a man arrested for making fun of his local police department on Facebook in a case that inspired the parody site The Onion to file a brief saying its “highly acclaimed, universally revered coverage” was under threat.

The justices left in place a ruling that tossed out Anthony Novak’s lawsuit against the city of Parma and two police officers. The 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals said the officers were protected under a legal doctrine known as qualified immunity because they reasonably believed they were acting within the law.

It’s defeat ...