The publication of private, intimate pictures of former Rep. Katie Hill that drove her to resign from office will be contested in court this week in an argument that pits the 1st Amendment against California’s revenge-porn law. On Wednesday, the court will hear a motion by defendant Jennifer Van Laar to strike the lawsuit, claiming it is an attempt to silence speech that is protected by the 1st Amendment. They also assert they have a 1st Amendment right to publish information about an elected official’s behavior that is newsworthy. Van Laar said in her court filings that she has never spoken with Heslep and did not receive the pictures from him. AdvertisementVan Laar wrote an article for Red State about Hill’s relationship with the campaign staffer that ran with the hair-brushing picture.

Source: Los Angeles Times March 09, 2021 13:02 UTC