Breyer says justices must adapt to Facebook world

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, right, greets law students and invited guests after speaking at Vanderbilt University on Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2010, in Nashville, Tenn. Breyer's appearance at the school centered on his latest book, "Making Our Democracy Work: A Judge's View." (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)


NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Don't expect a Facebook friend request from Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer any time soon.

The 72-year-old justice said in a speech at Vanderbilt Law School on Tuesday that he was perplexed when he recently saw the film "The Social Network" about the origins of Facebook.

But Breyer said the film illustrates his argument that modern conditions - like the development of the social-networking site - should inform justices when interpreting a Constitution written in the 18th century.

"If I'm applying the First Amendment, I have to apply it to a world where there's an Internet, and there's Facebook, and there are movies like ... 'The Social Network,' which I couldn't even understand," he said.

Breyer said of the high court: "It's quite clear, we don't have a Facebook page."

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SUPREME_COURT_BREYER?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT