HomeMy WebLinkAbout072922 New 9th Circuit Appeals Court ruling - illegal to block speech on social media________________________________
ALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them.
________________________________
Commissioners:
“Public officials could be violating speech rights by blocking social media posts, appeals court rules”
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/courts/story/2022-07-27/9th-circuit-social-media-public-officials?_amp=true
Jefferson County should immediately update the Social Media Policy (and ‘Guidelines’) to be in compliance with this 9th Circuit ruling.
GARNIER V. O’CONNOR-RATCLIFF
https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2022/07/27/21-55118.pdf
The county’s current practice of blocking / removing / hiding political speech is clearly at odds with the law.
From https://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/1404/Social-Media-Posting-Guidelines <https://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/1404/Social-Media-Posting-Guidelines>
“Comments of the type mentioned below may be hidden.”
…
* Comments in support of, or opposition to, political campaigns or ballot measures.
The courts have repeatedly found that political speech is the “most protected form of speech”, and yet Jefferson County believes it has the right to censor such speech? Think again.
Please fix your policy and guidelines before we taxpayers have to pay for yet another §1983 lawsuit.
Tom Thiersch
Member, Washington Coalition for Open Government <https://www.washcog.org/>
==== [RCW 42.30.010 Open Public Meetings Act <https://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=42.30&full=true> ] ==== ==== [RCW 42.56.030 Public Records Act <https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?ci
te=42.56&full=true> ] ====
"The people of this state do not yield their sovereignty to the agencies that serve them. The people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what
is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to know. The people insist on remaining informed and informing the people's public servants of their views so that they
may maintain control over the instruments that they have created."
###
P SAVE PAPER - Please do not print this e-mail unless absolutely necessary.