The Nebraska Supreme Court is being asked to decide whether profanity-laced e-mails sent to a college professor who was a candidate for political office were criminal in nature or protected free speech.

Darren Drahota (druh-HOAT-uh) was convicted of disturbing the peace and fined $250 for e-mails he sent in 2006 to former University of Nebraska-Lincoln political science professor Bill Avery. At the time, Avery was running for a seat in the Nebraska Legislature, which he won, and Drahota was a UNL student.

In July, a UCLA law professor asked the high court to review the case. Eugene Volokh (VOLL-uck) says that if the conviction were to stand, it could substantially deter people from communicating with their government officials.