Backpage.com execs cling to First Amendment in court over sex trafficking case

Two execs at defunct online classifed ads site Backpage will be heading to court on Tuesday, clinging to America's First Amendment in an effort to avoid jail time. Michael Lacey and Jim Larkin's lawyers will be in court in Pasadena, California, on Tuesday for oral arguments in their appeal against the government. Despite the …

[Allan George Dyer]

They're making oral... what?

Synonyms of argument include blowup and finisher.

[Aynon Yuser]

Re: They're making oral... what?

I think they meant oral sex.

[Anonymous Coward]

Sledgehammer to miss a nut, more like. The illegal activities claimed to happen on Backpage are still happening just as before, while many thousands of people have seen a safe avenue to ply their trade torn away, and have been forced - literally - back onto the street.

[stiine]

Why didn't you mention...

That SESTA/FOSTA wasn't actually passed into law until after the charges in this case were filed. While SESTA/FOSTA are bad laws, they don't mean shit to this case.

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

Re: Why didn't you mention...

But the precedent that you can seize all of someone's assets while investigating a case like this

[Eddy Ito]

Re: Why didn't you mention...

Between civil asset forfeiture and the dual sovereignty doctrine, the Fifth Amendment has been dead for years.

[rbf]

The only way the prostitution = sex trafficking conflators can prevail against Backpages is by defunding their very able lawyers.

If Backpages' lawyers get free rein (access to assets) the charges will eventually be tossed and civil rights suits will be pursued. Arpaio got hit with a very expensive judgment.