Sheboygan (WI) woman files landmark case over Web links (against police)

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=786584 | August 24, 2008 | JOHN DIEDRICH

[bamahead]

The city’s actions torpedoed Reisinger’s Web site marketing business and led to death threats against her, according to the lawsuit....Reisinger alleges her First Amendment rights were violated by the city. She seeks $250,000 in compensatory damages...

All for linking to a website, paid for by her own tax dollars....

Libertarian ping! To be added or removed freepmail me or post a message here.

[bamahead]

The city’s actions torpedoed Reisinger’s Web site marketing business and led to death threats against her, according to the lawsuit....Reisinger alleges her First Amendment rights were violated by the city. She seeks $250,000 in compensatory damages...

All for linking to a website, paid for by her own tax dollars....

Libertarian ping! To be added or removed freepmail me or post a message here.

[Genesis defender]

Well, I’ll be... and to think this is all happening in the city in which I live.

I won’t post the city attorney’s contact info, because they could be knocking on MY door, but here’s the website to browse for lots of info about this fine city, starting with the city departments. There just might be a way to contact the city attorney somewhere in that website....

http://ci.sheboygan.wi.us/Departments.html

[Old Student]

“They should be glad I am not the judge. She wins, and those responsible for the city all go to classes on the Constitution.”

I think you missed sending them to jail for a while for exceeding their authority quite badly, before they go to the classes. I hereby volunteer to teach the class, if you’d like.

[omega4179]

I was under the impression police can only issue LAWFUL orders like stop pooping in the street?

[nw_arizona_granny]

Ping.

[AuntB]

“

I did a Google search for sheboygan police and the first site up was www.sheboyganpolice.com. Did the Police send a cease and desist to Google? “

Exactly. This is someone with a little power who thinks he’s above the rest of his community. Sounds a lot like my HOA. The board is disqualifying anyone as a member who even tries
to run against them. Retaliation is what small minds do best.

[Cacique]

btt

[Ken H]

Oregon: publishing our laws online is a copyright violation

(article from 04/16/2008)

The State of Oregon takes exception to Web sites that republish the state's Revised Statutes in full, claiming that the statutes contain copyrighted information in the republication causes the state to lose money it needs to continue putting out the official version of the statutes.

Oregon's Legislative Counsel, Dexter Johnson, has therefore requested that legal information site Justia remove the information or (preferably) take out a paid license from the state.

-snip-

[VictoryGal]

> Oregon: publishing our laws online is a copyright violation

What idiocy. If the government and its laws do not belong to the people, who do they belong to?

For the Oregon and Sheboygan cases, it is so obvious what is right that even the ultra lib ACLU would defend it.

[contemplator]

When the police get mad and don’t know what to do, they do what they know best - arrest.

When the only tool you have is a hammer everything looks like a nail.

[contemplator]

"The State of Oregon takes exception to Web sites that republish the state's Revised Statutes in full,..."

In the old days Lawyers used to subscribe to receive their law manuals in book form and they filled walls with libraries of books. More recently they subscribe to similar services which provide them the laws and updates in electronic format. Either way, it would appear that someone in the state was receiving some sort of payment for the right to sell these subscriptions. When private citizens post the laws on websites, they bypass the old system and the businesses that were charging for what should have been public domain now have competetion.

I have often wondered why it was so hard to find statutes and laws on-line. Now I think I see what the problem has been, no one gets paid that way. I had always figured that laws had to be public domain information since it is the responsibility of every citizen to know and understand the laws. As the old maxim goes 'ignorance of the law is no excuse'. That's fine as long as the information is freely available.

It's about time this sort of case came to light. As another Freeper pointed out, taxpayers already have to pay for the laws to be developed and they are already paying for the State websites, data storage etc.., they shouldnt have to pay again for the privilege of reading what they have already paid for.

[monday]

“Then a police lieutenant told Reisinger he was investigating her use of links to city government sites, the suit says.”

They should go after this lieutenant and the mayor for abuse of office and intimidation. There should be criminal charges against them.

[unspun]

Expect to see more of this happening if Obama gets elected.

What? The abuse of police power?

[monday]

“IIANM, they said that the way she put it on her website implied that it was authorized by the city.”

From what I gather reading her website only a moron would assume the link was authorized by the city. Her position against the mayor and police department is pretty clear. The is a free speech issue and she has already won is the courts in WI follow the constitution.

[monday]

“The State of Oregon takes exception to Web sites that republish the state’s Revised Statutes in full...”

Am I missing something? What does that have to do with this thread?

[TNdandelion]

Cheerful looking guy there. Sheesh! lol

[Gondring]

OOOOOOPS! I pasted the wrong link.

http://www.bratcitywebdesign.com/ is her site, I think. I think she likely has http://sheboyganspirit.com/ now.

badgerblogger isn't her's.

I'm guessing that this is the page that caused the furor (followed by this).

If a web page is designed in a way to put an icon at the bottom with a link embedded in the icon, it might seem to imply sponsorship or ownership by the entity on the icon. But I don't know about the place where it's on the "Links" page.

[Gondring]

By the Miranda decision, we can’t be expected to remember our rights at arrest, yet we are expected to know all these volume after volume of laws, regulations, guidance, etc. And not even available without a fee?!? Wow.

[sbMKE]

If they’re upset about her site, then their heads must be ready to explode over this one:

Rate my Cop
http://www.ratemycop.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=62&Itemid=148