what the hell?
Nov. 4th, 2008 09:54 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
acroyearOfficials find source of fake election flier, won't press charges | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com:
Year after year after year, false information (almost entirely, but there are exceptions, spread to harass potential Democratic voters) is spread around through junk like this, through robocalls, through lies in websites, to in-person threats door-to-door in minority neighborhoods.
And if you don't charge these people with a crime, which they have committed and admitted to, you're just asking for it to continue forever.
"Oh, yeah, I raped her, but it was just a joke." - if that's not a valid defense, then "it's just a joke" isn't a valid defense here, either.
Intent may be useful in sentencing, but it alone should not be free reign for carte blanche permission to spread bullshit illegally like this. A crime was committed. It is up to the courts to decide if there was malicious intent.
Calling it a "joke that got out of control," a top state election official today confirmed that the person responsible for a phony election flier circulated in Hampton Roads has been identified.Oh THIS PISSES ME OFF.
Law enforcement officials, meanwhile, added that charges will not be filed in the matter.
Year after year after year, false information (almost entirely, but there are exceptions, spread to harass potential Democratic voters) is spread around through junk like this, through robocalls, through lies in websites, to in-person threats door-to-door in minority neighborhoods.
And if you don't charge these people with a crime, which they have committed and admitted to, you're just asking for it to continue forever.
"Oh, yeah, I raped her, but it was just a joke." - if that's not a valid defense, then "it's just a joke" isn't a valid defense here, either.
Intent may be useful in sentencing, but it alone should not be free reign for carte blanche permission to spread bullshit illegally like this. A crime was committed. It is up to the courts to decide if there was malicious intent.
no subject
Date: 2008-11-04 03:33 pm (UTC)well, there's no "criminal intent" when a bunch of teenagers steal a stopsign on a lark, or throw shit off an overpass either. but serious consequences can occur as a result and you can JUST BET that if it said "republican should vote on the 5th" that screams of "OMG VOTER FRAUD ACORNZ!!!111" would be ringing across the nation.
wtf!? this is so unfair!