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Police officer who sued to keep vanity license plate that read 'OINK' loses his case in Indiana
Daily Mail ^ | 11/06/15

Posted on 11/07/2015 3:46:17 PM PST by Libloather

Police officer who sued to keep vanity license plate that read 'OINK' loses his case in Indiana Supreme Court as it rules the placards are 'government speech'

Indiana's highest court ruled Friday that state officials had the right to deny a police officer an 'offensive' vanity license plate that said 'OINK.'

The unanimous Indiana Supreme Court decision found that messages on state-issued license plates amount to government speech, not constitutionally protected personal speech.

It cited a recent U.S. Supreme Court case that found Texas hadn't violated free speech rights by refusing to issue specialty license plates featuring the Confederate battle flag.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: government; police; speech; vanity
Uh, oh. 'Government speech'? What the heck is that?
1 posted on 11/07/2015 3:46:17 PM PST by Libloather
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To: Libloather

Why not: 01ENK?


2 posted on 11/07/2015 3:55:30 PM PST by SkyDancer ("Nobody Said I Was Perfect But Yet Here I Am")
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To: Libloather

The whole point of a vanity plate is to make a personal statement, which the state allows. This is absolutely insane.


3 posted on 11/07/2015 3:55:51 PM PST by Twotone (Truth is hate to those who hate truth.)
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To: Libloather
"The unanimous Indiana Supreme Court decision found that messages on state-issued license plates amount to government speech, not constitutionally protected personal speech. "

If that's the case, then the State has no business charging citizens for government speech on license plates.

4 posted on 11/07/2015 4:04:06 PM PST by mass55th (Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway...John Wayne)
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To: Libloather

5 posted on 11/07/2015 4:16:24 PM PST by South40 (Trump on Kim Davis: I hate to see her being sent to jail but the law is the law)
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To: Libloather

Seriously, can we STOP twisting the law in knots?

State plate maker: ‘We don’t want to do it.’

Citizen to court: ‘Make them do it.’

Court to citizen: ‘This is not a matter of law, it is a matter of difference, take it to the legislature or the governor.’

I don’t think either the Texas case or this one should have seen a day inside a courtroom. The Texas group could easily have just opted (and likely have) for license plate frames.

Now we have another silly precedent declaring license plates to be government speech. WTF is this? People have god given rights which are recognized in the constitution, freedom of speech being but one of them. Governments aren’t granted any rights EXCEPT those granted by the people. You don’t HAVE speech.


6 posted on 11/07/2015 4:25:23 PM PST by kingu (Everything starts with slashing the size and scope of the federal government.)
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To: Libloather
A police officer with a sense of humor, and they want to stifle the guy?

Aw, geez, Louie.

7 posted on 11/07/2015 4:36:32 PM PST by BlueDragon
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To: Twotone

I agree. It’s his attempt at humor. Big deal.

We talk about the federal government needing to be smaller. The states need to dial it back also.


8 posted on 11/07/2015 4:42:44 PM PST by DoughtyOne (It's beginning to look like "Morning in America" again. (Comment on YouTube under Trump Free Ride.))
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9 posted on 11/07/2015 4:54:56 PM PST by DJ MacWoW (The Fed Gov is not one ring to rule them all)
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To: Libloather

He should apply for a plate that says “BACON”.


10 posted on 11/07/2015 5:03:56 PM PST by VTenigma (The Democratic party is the party of the mathematically challenged)
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To: Libloather

The govmnt has NO protection of speach.
We do.
Period.


11 posted on 11/07/2015 5:08:40 PM PST by sasquatch
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To: Libloather

Let’s make this real clear.

The court issued an OPINION, not a legally binding law.

Only the LEGISLATURE may write a law, not the judiciary.

The only way a judicial opinion becomes a law is if the legislature agrees with the judicial OPINION and passes a LAW that gives the judge’s OPINION the force of LAW!!!

What the hell is so difficult to understand about that?

Damn judges cannot WRITE LAW!!!!!!!!!!


12 posted on 11/07/2015 6:06:15 PM PST by sergeantdave
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To: SkyDancer

or..... 3M TA3 .....??

Looks great in someones rear view mirror.


13 posted on 11/07/2015 7:20:51 PM PST by Squantos ( Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet ...)
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To: Libloather
Uh, oh. 'Government speech'? What the heck is that?

Another Roberts-type decision from the courts - deeming something to be what it isn't so they can step on someone's rights.

I worked with a MSgt in the AF that had a vanity plate that read "LIGAFF"

Yep - stood for "Like I Give A Flying F---"

I'm guessing that the folks who issued the license didn't take to decipher it...

14 posted on 11/08/2015 5:02:31 AM PST by trebb (Where in the the hell has my country gone?)
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