brilliant!!!
So I guess He does not think that you should even be able to criticize people running for office?
and timely
This is the defense the major media have for sliming Trump at every opportunity, with impunity.
This is how they can get away with it
It SHOULD BE illegal for media to lie about someone- especially when it ruins their lives.
Especially when they know it is a lie, but report it anyway, but claim ‘they had no malicious intent’ (how do you prove a thought crime)
Media should have a HIGHER standard, not a lower one.
The Warren Court decided that there was no equal protection under the law.
Times v. Sullivan went too far, has led to much abuse...
(as we can see in our public square today)
I wonder if the SCt could fix it, it will take either some very fine tuning (something the SCt is notoriously poor at, such as Roe v. Wade)...
or else, just dropping the SCt’s innovation about public figures having less protection against libel, than anybody else
we will see...
I’ve ALWAYS loved Justice Thomas. And he has NEVER betrayed us, his principles or the US Constitution.
He’s right. It’s not right that if you are a so-called “public figure” which apparently means anyone who isn’t totally anonymous, the anyone can make up any scurrilous accusation about you and get away with smearing you and your reputation sans consequences under the protection of the courts. It doesn’t seem like equal protection under the law to me.
It is not just the media that hides behind Sullivan. Internet discussion boards also have protection.
If public figures can sue the media for libel, can they also sue commenters on political discussion boards.
I agree with non-officials like authors, actors, etc. I don’t agree that the same level should be applied to govt personnel. Else the govt could then crack down on criticism claiming libel and the person then has to pay defense expenses for free speech.
YES! YES! YES! Brilliant, Justice Thomas! This would be incredible!!