[cryptome] Fwd: Electronic Frontier Foundation Media Release: Washington State 'Cyberstalking' Case Based on Unconstitutional Law
- From: John Young <cryptome@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: cryptome@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2012 13:34:41 -0400
It may be possible to go beyond the EFF defense in this case
if the summary in the last paragraph is accurate. The summary
too closely follows the formulaic language, for example, of privacy
policies which mislead by appearing to offer more protection than
they do when a more powerful force is applied. While EFF's intentions
are admriable, its capsule quotes for press and public consumption
are not as persuasive as its legal briefs and may suggest reading
the briefs are not necessary. Without diminishing EFF's and others'
most laudable efforts in combating privacy, freedom of speech and
national security spying abuses, soft-palmed press releases are
not keeping up with hard-fisted, bruising legal combat. Relish the
nose-bashing, skull-cracking briefs pointed to by the lazy-reader
releases apparently aimed at sound-bitten, biting press.
Hello, Hanni.
Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2012 09:50:08 -0700
From: EFF Press <press@xxxxxxx>
To: presslist@xxxxxxx
Subject: Electronic Frontier Foundation Media Release: Washington State
'Cyberstalking' Case Based on Unconstitutional Law
Electronic Frontier Foundation Media Release
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Contact:
Hanni Fakhoury
Staff Attorney
Electronic Frontier Foundation
hanni@xxxxxxx
+1 415 436-9333 x117
Washington State 'Cyberstalking' Case Based on
Unconstitutional Law
Statute Criminalizes Speech in Violation of the First
Amendment
San Francisco - The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is
urging a Washington State judge to dismiss "cyberstalking"
charges stemming from rude comments left on a blog. In an
amicus brief filed today, EFF argues that the case is based
on an unconstitutional law that criminalizes free speech.
The defendant in the case, Brandy Edwards, created an
online dating profile under a pseudonym and used it to
communicate with Amanda Westmont, the ex-wife of a friend
of Edwards. Months later after the online relationship
ended Edwards posted three critical comments on
Westmont's publicly accessible blog, still using the
pseudonym. Employing obscenities, the posts referred to
Westmont as "full of herself," a "nutcase," and a
"whack-job."
Westmont deleted the posts and reported them to the police.
A year later, Edwards was charged with two counts of
"cyberstalking" under Washington State law. The first
charge is based on Edwards anonymously and repeatedly
communicating with Westmont for the purpose of "harassing
and embarrassing" another person, although the conversation
was consensual. The second charge is based on Edwards' use
of "obscene" language for the purpose of "harassing or
embarrassing." The problem with the Washington State
statute is that it outlaws anonymous or obscene speech
intended to "embarrass" without defining what that broad
term means. In the brief filed today, EFF argues that the
law is unconstitutional and the case should be dismissed.
"While we may not like a lot of what people say online, the
First Amendment allows for rudeness and other impolitic
comments," said EFF Staff Attorney Hanni Fakhoury. "The
way this law is written, it could end up criminalizing
things like posting a negative review on a website like
Yelp."
Venkat Balasubramani of FOCAL PLLC in Seattle, Washington,
is EFF's local counsel in the case.
For the full amicus brief:
https://www.eff.org/node/71310/
For this release:
https://www.eff.org/press/releases/washington-state-cyberstalking-case-based-unconstitutional-law
About EFF
The Electronic Frontier Foundation is the leading
organization protecting civil liberties in the digital
world. Founded in 1990, we defend free speech online, fight
illegal surveillance, promote the rights of digital
innovators, and work to ensure that the rights and freedoms
we enjoy are enhanced, rather than eroded, as our use of
technology grows. EFF is a member-supported organization.
Find out more at https://www.eff.org.
-end-
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