Comments on Advance Indiana™: State Supreme Court Hears Arguments On Robot Call Law

For me it's not about privacy. It's about annoyan...

2008-06-17T20:09:00.000-05:00

For me it's not about privacy. It's about annoyance. Everyone has a right to voice their opinions but none of them have the right to enter my home and force their ideas on me - whether in the flesh or in a stream of electrons.

Now if they want to split to cost of my phone bill, we can talk. I didn't subscribe to my phone service for their benefit, only for mine.

It will be a close one. First Amendment issues wi...

2008-06-17T15:50:00.000-05:00

It will be a close one. First Amendment issues will be at the forefront of the Supreme Court thinking. Steve Carter makes a good argument about privacy rights. However, that may not be enough.

I testified at the U.S. Senate in February about robo calls impact on the American Voter and detailed 1000's of voters that are sick and tired of this invasion of their privacy.

The elderly live in fear of a health emergency occurring and not being able to call 911. Mothers at home are bothered by calls waking up babies during naps. And night shift workers can not get the needed rest that they need to perform in their jobs.

We have started a voluntary political do not call list to get around First Amendment issues.

Shaun Dakin
CEO and Founder
StopPoliticalCalls.org

The AG has no chance of winning this case. Clearl...

2008-06-17T09:20:00.000-05:00

The AG has no chance of winning this case. Clearly the political calls are not "promoting goods or services." The fact the statute wasn't applied for 18 years to political speech is further evidence the statute was aimed at commercial, not political speech.

Second, Gary, you're dead wrong on the constitutional issue. Previous cases have required that laws/rules like this make an exception for political activity. For example, neighborhoods can't ban door to door political solicitation, but they can ban other types of commercial solicitation.

The law can make reasonable time, place and manner restrictions such as limiting the hours the calls are made so they are not made before 8 a.m. or 9 p.m. for example. But they can't ban the speech completely on the basis that other types of speech is available to the candidate. The fact audo-dialers may be an ineffective method of speech is irrelevant.

Any candidate who has their computer call me for m...

2008-06-16T19:52:00.000-05:00

Any candidate who has their computer call me for my vote will get only MY computer's vote. Please note that my computer isn't old enough to even register, so I guess they shouldn't expect much support from my household.

In fairness, a live body calling me will have little more success in their 'convert a heathen' efforts.