Brown v. Glines (1980) said military service members have the right to
petition Congress may not circulate petitions without approval from a base
commander.

McDonald v. Smith (1985) held that the petition clause of the First
Amendment does not endow individuals with absolute immunity from charges of
slander and libel.

Meyer v. Grant (1988) invalidated a provision of a Colorado statute that
made it a felony to pay people circulating petitions to include initiatives
on state ballots.

Secretary of the Navy v. Huff (1980) was decided in conjunction with
another case that said limiting the right of the military to petition does
not violate the First Amendment.

The right to petition the government for a redress of grievances is one of the less litigated provisions of the First Amendment, but it remains important. The right has roots in the English Bill of Rights of 1689, which was adopted after William and Mary ascended to the throne after James II had left England. This