Massachusetts high court strikes down law that barred false statements in political campaigns

[Valin]

AP:

BOB SALSBERG Associated Press

August 6, 2015

 

BOSTON — A Massachusetts law that makes it a crime to publish false statements about political candidates is unconstitutional, the state's highest court ruled Thursday.

 

The Supreme Judicial Court's ruling came in a case involving a state lawmaker from Cape Cod who last year sought a criminal complaint against the treasurer of a political action committee. At issue were fliers that Democratic Rep. Brian Mannal said accused him of putting the interests of sex offenders ahead of families.

 

The justices, in a unanimous 31-page decision, said the 1946 law was "inconsistent with the fundamental right of free speech." The law said no person should publish, or cause to be published, a false statement about a political candidate that is designed to affect the outcome of an election, to harm a political candidate or influence the outcome of a ballot question.

 

(Snip)

 

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1 stupid law down 739,2219,738 to go