Judge Michelle Friedland
Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals
Michelle Taryn Friedland was born in July 1972 in Berkeley, California. She earned an undergraduate degree from Stanford University, was a Fulbright Scholar at Wolfson College, Oxford, and received a Juris Doctor from Stanford Law. She clerked at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and also served as a law clerk to Justice Sandra Day O’Connor at the U.S. Supreme Court. She entered the private practice of law.
She was an adjunct professor of law at the University of Virginia Law School.
Friedland was nominated by President Barack Obama to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. After a cloture vote, she was confirmed by the Senate and received her commission in April 2014.
She is married to Daniel Kelly.
In the News…
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently ruled honking your car horn is not protected under First Amendment free speech rights.
A California woman brought suit against the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office for ticketing her after she honked her horn while driving past protesters. Law enforcement said she violated a state law against misuse of vehicle horns. She alleged that honking her horn was her First Amendment right.
A U.S. district court ruled against her, and the Ninth Circuit upheld the lower court’s ruling.
Writing for the majority, Judge Michelle Friedland said, “For the horn to serve its intended purpose as a warning device, it must not be used indiscriminately.” The Ninth Circuit confirmed the lower court’s statements that using a car horn is prohibited except “when reasonably necessary to ensure safe operation” or when used “as a theft harm system.”
Contact this Leader…
Did you pray for Judge Friedland today? You can let her know at:
The Honorable Michelle Friedland
Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals
The James R. Browning Courthouse
95 7th Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
