Science, Censorship And The Pandemic
- LaFern Cusack
- May 19, 2020
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 13, 2021
Dr. Phil speaks with First Amendment attorneys Nancy Wells Hamilton and Charles L. “Chip” Babcock about science, censorship and the pandemic.
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Nancy Wells Hamilton has appeared in federal and state courts in Texas, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia for clients who have included CNN, Oprah Winfrey, Dr. Phil, CBS, Inc., The Tribune Company, and U.S. Trust. Nancy is a frequent writer and lecturer on trial tactics and media law, includingWhat to do When the Media CallsandBuilding Rapport in the Courthousefor the Texas State Bar;Trial Techniquesfor the Media Law Resource Center Annual Conferences in 2006 and 2008; an appearance on PBS Houston’s KUHT-TV programThe Connectionon videotaping jury deliberations; and a Texas State Bar Pattern Jury Charge project.
Education B.A., Skidmore College J.D., University of Houston Law Center Bar Admissions Texas, 1990
Court Admissions: United States Court of Appeals for the First, Second, Fifth and Seventh Circuits United States District Court for the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Charles “Chip” Babcock is a Texas-based trial and appellate lawyer who litigates at both the trial and appellate levels across the United States. He has tried over 100 cases to a jury and argued over 50 appeals. He handles all types of commercial trial work and has particular experience in media and First Amendment litigation. He is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, the American Board of Trial Advocates, and the Litigation Counsel of America. He is a Fellow of the American Law Institute. Chip has represented individuals such as Warren Buffet, Oprah Winfrey, Dr. Phil McGraw, George W. Bush, and Reggie Love (aide to President Obama). His corporate clients have included ORIX USA, Celanese Corp, Fox News Network, CNN, Google, CBS Television Studios, Vantage Drilling International, Warner Brothers Pictures, New Line Cinema, 3M Corporation and OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network.
Chip has tried highly publicized cases such as Turner v. Dolcefino, which was covered gavel to gavel for nine weeks on CourtTV (now TruTV); Texas Beef v. Oprah Winfrey, which was litigated for six weeks in Amarillo, Texas, and concerned the popular talk show host’s statements about “mad cow” disease; Knight v. The Chicago Tribune, a case tried in Cook County, Illinois, involving a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist defendant and his highly acclaimed series about prosecutorial misconduct; In re Sharon Keller, which involved an effort to remove the Presiding Judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals from the bench; and In re Hecht, where the Judicial Conduct Commission attempted to admonish the (now) Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court over statements he made in support of a nominee to the United States Supreme Court.
Education A.B., Brown University
Rowing Team (4 years), Freshman and Varsity Crews
WBRU FM, Sports Director
J.D., Boston University School of Law
Executive Editor, Boston University Law Review
Bar Admissions Texas, 1977 New York, 2016
Court Admissions United States Supreme Court Texas Supreme Court United States Court of Appeals for the First, Second, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Circuits United States District Court for the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan United States District Court for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York
Seeing both Nancy Wells Hamilton’s multi-state court record and Chip Babcock’s list of more than 100 jury trials in one short post really makes the “science, censorship and the pandemic” framing feel less abstract and a lot more grounded. Honestly, while taking a break from stuff like this I ended up poking around Everything is Crab Wiki, a fan-made game reference site I recently found, and it’s oddly easy to get lost in. Anyway, was this part of a larger interview series?
The rich hand-drawn sceneries and melon playground memorable symphonic accompaniment create an immersive and emotive ambiance.
Great discussion on science and censorship. Really makes you think about free speech in today's world. If you're into brain-teasers while pondering these topics, check out this fun arrow puzzle.
Closing the door right in front of "Granny" helps you slow her down.
The dialogue surrounding Science, Censorship, and the Pandemic isn't a simple matter of black and white; it’s a turbulent gradient of gray areas. Throughout the crisis, we saw a constant shift in what was considered 'settled science' versus 'misinformation.' This informational gradient was often subject to sudden, jarring transitions—where yesterday’s hypothesis became today’s taboo, only to shift again tomorrow. Navigating this landscape requires a high level of critical rendering, as the boundaries of acceptable discourse seemed to expand and contract in real-time.