This place is dead

Ain't nothing like it used to be!

Ain't nothing like it used to be!

Nope.

That's because all of those folks who were spouting nonsense about unlimited free speech know better now.

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Even if leoaffairs wins in the 2nd DCA, they have learned that they must police (pardon the pun) the postings on the board to avoid allowing material which can be subject to litigation.

Note that in the arguments before the 2nd DCA the postings in question were acknowledged to have been matters subject to disciplinary action only. If they had been contesting postings which violated state law (and such things are possible) the arguments before the court would have been of a distinctly different tone.

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I'm still waiting for an unlimited free speech advocate, who is an employee of the Sheriff's Office, to stand on the SOC steps at noon (on duty or off duty) and make a public speech absuing ethnic minorities by using the usual epithets regarding their race.

8)

[Sysop]

Sorry, I couldn't resist posting on this one...

The HCSO has definitely seen a change in Message Board traffic when compared to that prior to the law suit. Yes, I suspect it's because posters who are also employees are worried that their identities might be made know. From this perspective it's not about right or wrong. Even if they know they are right in making the post and the Sheriff's Office is wrong in obtaining the information, they have still been compromised if their identities get out.

As far as unlimited Free Speach, I think the masses simply want to be treated the same as the citizens whose rights we are sworn to protect. This does not translate into unlimited Free Speech.

LEOAFFAIRS.COM(tm) has always realized the importance of Policing itself with Moderators (even though other websites do not), Deleting inappropriate postings and Banning abusive users. In fact, we won't even add a Message Board unless we have a Moderator for it. That's why, even in the unlikely event that the Sheriff's Office wins their appeal in the 2nd DCA, LEOAFFAIRS.COM(tm) still has no messages to give up. Our Moderators have done an outstanding job of keeping inappropriate content off the site. By the time the HCSO cut a subpoena to us, the content had already been removed by us. Your assertion that the lawsuit changed the way we do things is wrong.

Lastly, if the Sheriff's Office was contesting postings that violated state law, we wouldn't even be in court. But that is not the case.

Jim Preston and Chip DeBlock are very easy to get a hold of as well as Mod 1 and Mod 2. The Sheriff's Office is always encouraged to contact us for the prompt removal of any content that violates our Terms of Use.

As for the users of this Message Board and those who frequent this site, your identities are safe as long as you follow our Terms of Use and do not break the law. In the nearly 4 years that we have been online, NO IP ADDRESSES have ever been revealed. I think that says a lot!

Thanks for your support!