using a sledgehammer to kill an gnat

[SemperEadem]

http://volokh.com/2011/06/06/crime-to-post-images-that-cause-emotional-distress-without-legitimate-purpose/

Friday, a new Tennessee law was changed to provide (new material italicized):

(a) A person commits an offense who intentionally:

(4) Communicates with another person or transmits or displays an image in a manner in which there is a reasonable expectation that the image will be viewed by the victim by (by telephone, in writing or by electronic communication) without legitimate purpose:

(A) (i) With the malicious intent to frighten, intimidate or cause emotional distress; or

(ii) In a manner the defendant knows, or reasonably should know, would frighten, intimidate or cause emotional distress to a similarly situated person of reasonable sensibilities; and

(B) As the result of the communication, the person is frightened, intimidated or emotionally distressed.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. what the fuck do they put in their water?

[HopeHoops]

4. Moonshine.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

8. using lead piping to distill it, no doubt.

[bemildred]

2. Won't this outlaw most political campaigns? nt

[lumpy]

3. LOL Truly

v

[Vincardog]

5. So the anti abortion haters with their pictures of fetuses are felons? GOOD. How about the Westborow

church clown aren't they causing as much emotional distress as they can?

[Newest Reality]

6. Bill collectors

who harass and try to intimidate debtors would be subject to this, but I bet they would use the vague term, "legitimate purpose" to cover that.

In fact, "legitimate purpose" will exempt abuse by various agencies and their representatives. If you talk back to them in the wrong way, you then become a criminal.

Orwell was an optimist.

[damntexdem]

7. This frightens, intimidates, and emotionally distresses me.

Now, do I blame SemperEadem, or the State of Tennessee? ;-)

[SemperEadem]

9. not me--I'm just passing on information

and there were no pictures! ;D

notice that they didn't include: "to get off sexually". There arent' enough jails in tn to house all those who whack off to salacious pics on the webs.