Bianchi v. Chrzanowski

Issue: (1) Whether, when an assistant state’s attorney testified against the State’s Attorney pursuant to a subpoena, concerning alleged improper influence by the State’s Attorney as to a plea agreement entered into between the assistant state’s attorney and a defense attorney, the assistant state’s attorney was acting within his job duties such that his speech was not protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States; and (2) whether the contours of any First Amendment protections that might have attached to the assistant state’s attorney’s testimony were sufficiently clear such that a reasonable official would understand that by taking adverse employment action against the assistant state’s attorney, the official’s actions would be violating the assistant state’s attorney’s free speech right.