STUP Award
Washington State Supreme Court
CSW 07-23
It's okay to lie. It's a 1st amendment thing!
In 2002, Marilou Rickert told an untruth about her political opponent Tim Sheldon, the eventual winner for state senator. Mr. Sheldon filed a complaint against Ms. Rickert, won, the ruling was upheld, then overturned. It wound up in the State Supreme Court. Therein lies the stupidity.
In the 5-4 October 4th 2007 decision upholding a lower-court ruling, the high court said a state law aimed at punishing political candidates for false advertising is an unconstitutional infringement on free speech.
The court ruled that "Government has no business trying to stop political candidates from deliberately lying about each other in campaign ads." Justice Jim Johnson wrote for the majority, "The notion that the government, rather than the people, may be the final arbiter of truth in political debate is fundamentally at odds with the First Amendment."
Justice Barbara Madsen called the majority's ruling "an invitation to lie with impunity. ... It is little wonder that so many view political campaigns with distrust and cynicism."
CSW agrees with Judge Madsen wholeheartedly. What a stupid, liberal ruling by the court.
