FC: Washington state goes censorhappy, bans publishing police info

From: Declan McCullagh (declanat_private)
Date: Thu Mar 28 2002 - 21:28:28 PST

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    File under:
    1. Police get more rights than anyone else
    2. First-Amendment-impaired state congresscritters need to be thwapped 
    (painfully, repeatedly, for several hours) with a cluestick
    3. Remember, the city of Kirkland threatened Politech with a lawsuit -- 
    even before this bill took effect:
    http://www.politechbot.com/kirkland/
    
    Thanks once again to the fine folks at the Reporters Committee for Freedom 
    of the Press and Davis Wright Tremaine, who helped out at the time.
    
    -Declan
    
    ---
    
    Date: Thu, 28 Mar 2002 16:25:31 -0800
    To: declanat_private
    From: Elena Luisa Garella <garellaat_private>
    Subject: Re: Hilarious: Washington bill declares war on Bill Sheehan's 
    website
    
    This ridiculous bill, aimed squarely at Bill Sheehan's www.justicefiles.org 
    website, passed Washington's Senate and House unanimously.  It is now 
    waiting for Governor Locke's signature.  Can you count the constitutional 
    problems?  --Elena Garella
    
    See http://www.leg.wa.gov/wsladm/billinfo/dspBillSummary.cfm?billnumber=6700
    
    BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
         {+ NEW SECTION. +}  Sec. 1.  A person or organization shall not,with 
    the intent to harm or intimidate, sell, trade, give, publish,distribute, or 
    otherwise release the residential address, residential telephone number, 
    birthdate, or social security number of any law enforcement-related, 
    corrections officer-related, or court-related employee or volunteer, or 
    someone with a similar name, and categorize them as such, without the 
    express written permission of the employee or volunteer unless specifically 
    exempted by law or court order.
    
         {+ NEW SECTION. +}  Sec. 2.
         (1) Whenever it appears that any person or organization is engaged in 
    or about to engage in any act that constitutes or will constitute a 
    violation of section 1 of this act,the prosecuting attorney or any person 
    harmed by an alleged violation of section 1 of this act may initiate a 
    civil proceeding in superior court to enjoin such violation, and may 
    petition the court to issue an order for the discontinuance of the 
    dissemination of information in violation of section 1 of this act.
         (2) An action under this section shall be brought in the county in 
    which the violation is alleged to have taken place, and shall be commenced 
    by the filing of a verified complaint, or shall be accompanied by an affidavit.
         (3) If it is shown to the satisfaction of the court, either by
    verified complaint or affidavit, that a person or organization is
    engaged in or about to engage in any act that constitutes a violation
    of section 1 of this act, the court may issue a temporary restraining
    order to abate and prevent the continuance or recurrence of the act.
         (4) The court may issue a permanent injunction to restrain, abate,
    or prevent the continuance or recurrence of the violation of section 1
    of this act.  The court may grant declaratory relief, mandatory orders,
    or any other relief deemed necessary to accomplish the purposes of the
    injunction.  The court may retain jurisdiction of the case for the
    purpose of enforcing its orders.
    
         {+ NEW SECTION. +}  Sec. 3.  Any law enforcement-related,
    corrections officer-related, or court-related employee or volunteer who
    suffers damages as a result of a person or organization selling,
    trading, giving, publishing, distributing, or otherwise releasing the
    residential address, residential telephone number, birthdate, or social
    security number of the employee or volunteer in violation of section 1
    of this act may bring an action against the person or organization in
    court for actual damages sustained, plus attorneys' fees and costs.
    
         {+ NEW SECTION. +}  Sec. 4.  Sections 1 through 3 of this act are
    each added to chapter 4.24 RCW.
    
                                  --- END --
    
    
    
    
    
    -- 
    
    
    
    
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