On break at the #Backpage trial and attorney for James Larkin, Mr. Thomas Bienert, has Just finished his opening statement for the defense in which he turned the prosecutions opening statement on its head calling the prosecutors “deceptive” 1/
And explaining how all of the ads that the prosecution displayed previously on September 3 involved legal content. 2/
In regards to the adult ads that appeared on Backpage along with millions of other ads for various Mundane products/services like couches, antiques, jobs, etc., Bienert described what he called the Lacey and Larkin method 3/
In which, legal speech was allowed to be posted according to Backpage policies versus illegal speech which was not allowed to be posted 4/
Bienert went through several significant court cases which told Lacey, Larkin, and their 4 codefendants that what Backpage was doing was legal and protected by the #FirstAmendment and by section 230 5/
Bienert went through a number of Attaboys from law-enforcement thanking Backpage for helping to track down violent offenders and save trafficked women and children 6/
Quote from Beinert: “ mr. Jones (One of the prosecutors) never showed a single ad that was an illegal ad on its face“ 7/
Bienert discussed how a photo of a scantily clad woman or ribald language in an ad does not make it illegal on its face, nor are the defendants responsible for any legality that might take place after the fact 8/
Quote from Beniert: “ controversial does not equal illegal.“ 9/
Bienert also discussed Lacey and larkins’s history of being first amendment warriors and described a little bit of the history of the @phoenixnewtimes, which they founded in 1970 as an anti-establishment paper. 10/
Going back into court now after break. Will have more updates around lunchtime.11/11
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
