06-09-2022, 02:43 PM
(06-09-2022, 02:36 PM)hollodero Wrote: Oh ok, sentenced was the wrong word then. Non native speaker coming through.
I wonder though if in the end, meaning de facto, this system makes free speech a privilege for the rich and powerful. If you can afford potential financial consequences (or have the backing of an organization that will do so for you), you can say whatever you want. If you're not rich, you better keep your mouth shut.
Free speech through the first amendment is related to the government. But in a civil case you still have to prove damages. And remember there really is no limit a jury can award someone in punitive damages. An appeal court might knock it down, but they might not. A rich person can lose a lot.
“History teaches that grave threats to liberty often come in times of urgency, when constitutional rights seem too extravagant to endure.”-Thurgood Marshall
![[Image: 4CV0TeR.png]](https://i.imgur.com/4CV0TeR.png)
