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SpaceTabs t1_jbx82q0 wrote

Reply to comment by aShittierShitTier4u in 'Iowa Mama Bear' pleads guilty to making false report of abuse against former counterpart by Celphi

The first amendment protects people who lie from actions by the state. When the first amendment was ratified in 1791, it was intended specifically to protect people who would say outrageous things during elections, including lying. I believe two states voted against it. It was not about "journalism", which as we know it today did not exist at the time. Colonists enjoyed saying vile things about their adversary, knowing it would have resulted in their imprisonment in England.

Given the number of prominent politicians in the US that are serial liars, it is unlikely to change anytime soon. They can pursue civil actions for damages, but attempts to "regulate" or prosecute information would be a political death sentence.

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aShittierShitTier4u t1_jbxiq90 wrote

First amendment doesn't forbid the government from making filing a false criminal complaint a crime. Sure there's the court of public opinion, and civil court remedies, but I was talking about false reporting to police and prosecutors, etc official government agencies and processes as far as what they should be doing more about. The acts of libel that don't amount to the same criminal charges, can still be used as evidence to convict. And the accusations of crime so vile should be reported to police, not just an online audience. If the audience is important enough to report the allegations of abuse to, then they should be interested in the possibility that the accusations are false, and demand justice.

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