Circuit Judge Ronald Gould wrote that the right to free speech cannot shield illegal conduct, such as forging signatures or breaking contracts. He said the decision did not impose any restrictions on journalistic speech but simply reaffirmed “the established principle that the pursuit of journalism does not give a license to break laws of general applicability.”
The panel did overturn one part of the jury’s verdict, which found that the defendants violated the Federal Wiretap Act by secretly recording their conversations with Planned Parenthood employees, writing that the law generally allows recording by a party to a conversation.
In case that’s not obvious, this is re: the civil suit, not the criminal charges: