Another Unanimous Decision by The SC

WASHINGTON —The Supreme Court came down forcefully on the side of free speech Monday, even in the case of lies told during a political campaign.

The justices ruled unanimously in a ruling by Justice Clarence Thomas that states that ban political speech they consider to be false can be sued in federal court, even if the individuals or organizations accused of lying were not prosecuted.

The ruling was a victory for an anti-abortion group that accused a Democratic congressman of favoring taxpayer-funded abortions because he voted for President Obama's health care law.

All the court said was that the Susan B. Anthony List could pursue its challenge to the Ohio law in federal court, not whether it deserved to win. But the ruling, as well as the oral arguments in April, made clear where most justices stand.

"Denying prompt judicial review would impose a substantial hardship on petitioners, forcing them to choose between refraining from core political speech on the one hand, or engaging in that speech and risking costly commission proceedings and criminal prosecution on the other," Thomas wrote.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...-court-abortion-politics-lies-speech/9962817/