The Conservative Cave
Current Events => General Discussion => Topic started by: megimoo on July 21, 2008, 07:46:01 AM
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Heckler’s veto: Circuit court rules in favor of displaying abortion photos
In a ruling that surprised some observers, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the right of a pro-life group to display photos showing the bodies of babies dismembered during abortions. ..snip
The 9th Circuit ruled on July 3 that in detaining the activists, sheriff's deputies violated the demonstrators' First and Fourth Amendment rights to free speech and freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. In its ruling, the court cited the "heckler's veto," which states that citizens' speech cannot be curtailed because of listeners' reactions to that speech's content. CBR activists' "speech was permitted until the students and drivers around the school reacted to it, at which point the speech was deemed disruptive and ordered stopped," wrote Judge Harry Pregerson. "This application of the statute raises serious First Amendment concerns." snip
http://www.worldmag.com/articles/14195
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Oh my.
I'll bet the primitives aren't happy about this. Free speech.
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You can bet on this being appealed.
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"speech was permitted until the students and drivers around the school reacted to it, at which point the speech was deemed disruptive and ordered stopped," I wonder what constitutes "reacted to". Just being yelled at, or running up and punching some one?