Packingham v. North Carolina, 582 U.S. ___ (2017), is a United States Supreme Court decision holding that a North Carolina statute that prohibited sex offenders from accessing social media websites violated the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
The case arose following the 2010 arrest of Lester Gerard Packingham, previously convicted of inappropriate sexual behavior with a minor in 2002 but having served his criminal punishment, for posting to Facebook to comment favorably on a recent traffic court experience in 2010. Packingham was charged under North Carolina's statue that prevented registered sex offenders from using social media sites. Challenged in state courts, Packingham argued that the statute violated his First Amendment rights and the ability to use such sites for daily use in the dot-com era, and eventually sought the United States Supreme Court to hear the case, asking the Court to use strict scrutiny when looking at First Amendment rights violations under this law.
In a unanimous judgment issued in June 2017, the Court ruled the North Carolina statute unconstitutional, and that social media -- defined broadly enough to include Facebook, Amazon.com, the Washington Post, and WebMD -- is considered a "protected space" under the First Amendment for lawful speech. The Court offered that North Carolina could protect children through less restrictive means, such as prohibiting "conduct that often presages a sexual crime, like contacting a minor or using a website to gather information about a minor".
Video Packingham v. North Carolina
Background
Lester Gerard Packingham was convicted of taking "indecent liberties" with a minor in 2002. He was 21 years old and a college junior in Durham, North Carolina, where the age of consent is 16 years old. A North Carolina court sentenced him to the standard 12 months in prison with 24 months of supervised release. He was given no other special instructions on his behavior outside of prison other than "remain away from the minor". In 2010 Packingham was arrested when authorities discovered a post on his Facebook profile "thanking God for having his parking ticket dismissed" Packingham was arrested for violating North Carolina's law which bars registered sex offenders from accessing social media and alike sites.
Packingham argued that the social media law violated his First Amendment rights and demanded that it be struck down as unconstitutional. A North Carolina Superior Court judge denied his motion, and he was convicted. Packingham appealed to the North Carolina Court of Appeals, which reversed the decision made by the trial court, finding that the website provision was unconstitutional under the First Amendment. The state of North Carolina appealed to the North Carolina Supreme Court, who reversed the decision made by the Appeals Court, finding that it was a "limitation on conduct" and did not impede any free speech. The North Carolina Supreme Court found that the state had a vested interest in "forestalling the illicit lurking and contact of minors" by registered sex offenders and potential future victims, and sustained Packingham's conviction under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-202.5, which made it a felony for any person on the State's registry of sex offenders to "access" a wide array of websites-including Facebook, YouTube, and nytimes.com.
Lower court rulings
The Trial Court of North Carolina ruled that the First Amendment rights of Lester Packingham were not being infringed in this case due to the states "interest in the protection of minors". The North Carolina Court of Appeals overruled, saying that the law hindered First Amendment rights, and so struck it down. The North Carolina Supreme Court then overturned that ruling, stating that North Carolina had an interest in safety and protection of minors in the state.
Arguments in the Supreme Court
Packingham appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States. The federal government also filed a brief recommending that the Supreme Court grant the writ of certiorari, arguing that the North Carolina Supreme Court incorrectly decided the case in favor of the respondents. The Supreme Court granted certiorari on October 28, 2016. The Court agreed to hear arguments for the case on December 22, 2016, and set the date for arguments as February 27, 2017. Amicus briefs in support of Packingham were filed by the libertarian Cato Institute and the American Civil Liberties Union. The North Carolina Supreme Court filed a brief supporting the respondents, urging the importance of protecting minors in the Internet age from being stalked online. The oral argument took place on February 27, 2017.
Packingham's lawyer, David T. Goldberg, argued that the law banned "vast swaths of First Amendment activity", went too far in restricting what internet sites could be accessed, and forbade use of the Internet in general. The law targeted speech on some of the platforms that Americans use most often, Goldberg noted, and that under the law Packingham could not even use Twitter to read the myriad messages discussing his own case. he further noted that the law imposes punishment without regard to whether the offender actually did anything wrong. North Carolina's senior deputy Attorney General, Robert C. Montgomery, argued for the state. Montgomery claimed communication through social media sites is a "crucial channel".
Justice Sotomayor seemed to be skeptical about the state's claim that the law was necessary to prevent sexual abuse of minors. She asked Montgomery to provide evidence as to the claim that by giving Packingham Internet privileges, he would commit another crime. Justice Stephen Breyer agreed, stating "It seems to be well-settled law that the state can't (bar usage) unless there is a 'clear and present danger.' "
Maps Packingham v. North Carolina
Opinion of the Court
On June 19, 2017, the Supreme Court delivered judgment in favor of the accused, unanimously voting to reverse the state court. Justice Kennedy, in an opinion joined by Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan, explained the decision: "A fundamental principle of the First Amendment is that all persons have access to places where they can speak and listen, and then, after reflection, speak and listen once more." He continued that "By prohibiting sex offenders from using those websites, North Carolina with one broad stroke bars access to what for many are the principal sources for knowing current events, checking ads for employment, speaking and listening in the modern public square, and otherwise exploring the vast realms of human thought and knowledge." Citing Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition, Kennedy also wrote: "It is well established that, as a general rule, the Government 'may not suppress lawful speech as the means to suppress unlawful speech'."
Justice Alito wrote a concurring opinion, joined by Roberts and Thomas. While Alito agreed with Kennedy's opinion, he noted that there are reasonable scenarios where legal bans for sex offenders can be placed, such as for sites targeted for teenagers.
See also
- List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 582
- New York v. Ferber, 458 U.S. 747
- Ward v. Rock Against Racism, 491 U.S. 781
- United States v. O'Brien, 391 U.S. 367
References
External links
- Text of Packingham v. North Carolina, 582 U.S. ___ (2017) is available from: Findlaw Justia LII
- Case file at SCOTUSblog
Source of article : Wikipedia
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