[Lnc-business] Fwd: Colorado wasted over 100K of your money over "selfies"

Sun Mar 11 03:31:28 EDT 2018

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Libertarian Party of Colorado <CommunicationsDirector at lpcolorado.org>
Date: Sun, Mar 11, 2018 at 12:28 AM
Subject: Colorado wasted over 100K of your money over "selfies"
To: Caryn Harlos <carynannharlos at gmail.com>

Caryn --

We hate to say “we told you so”, but… we told you so.

During the 2016 election, the Libertarian Party of Colorado and its
Communications Director, Caryn Ann Harlos, took issue with an outdated
“vote trading” law being used to stifle free speech.

Denver’s city district attorney, Mitch Morrissey blasted out a press
release that warned voters to abstain from taking pictures of their
completed ballots and sharing the image on social media. If caught, those
who ignored this order would be in violation of Colorado Revised Statutes,
Title 1, Article 13, Section 712, which states
<http://www.lpcolorado.org/r?u=https%3A%2F%2Fleg.colorado.gov%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fimages%2Folls%2Fcrs2016-title-01.pdf&e=31f6b93e1a24c467d8d37f244cb60c17&utm_source=lpcolorado&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=selfie_cost&n=1>
:

“No election official, watcher, or person shall reveal to any other person
the name of any candidate for whom a voter has voted or communicate to
another his opinion, belief, or impression as to how or for whom a voter
has voted.”

Violating this decades-old statute was, as Morrissey made certain to point
out, a “misdemeanor offense.”

And so began the battle over the “ballot selfie.”

Harlos was actively campaigning for Gary Johnson, the 2016 Presidential
candidate for the Libertarian Party. She wanted to create a video of her
completing her ballot and explaining her reasons for voting for Johnson.

“The law is completely draconian and ridiculous,” Harlos states
<http://www.lpcolorado.org/r?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D8SehoLjLMc0&e=31f6b93e1a24c467d8d37f244cb60c17&utm_source=lpcolorado&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=selfie_cost&n=2>
 on an online video. The video was part of her crowdfunding efforts to
legally challenge the outdated law. Harlos filed suit in the U.S. District
Court of Colorado. And she wasn’t alone. Colorado’s ACLU and several other
concerned citizens filed suit.

The political will to enforce this mandate didn’t seem matriculate as
Morrissey has hoped. Very few elected officials seemed eager to enforce
this law, especially considering the depth and width of the internet and
capturing every single violation of this antiquated law.

“If they’re kind of walking around saying they realize this is a dumb law,
they should save the Colorado taxpayers the money for having to litigate
this,” Harlos told
<http://www.lpcolorado.org/r?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coloradoindependent.com%2F161836%2Fcolorado-ballot-selfie-libertarian-free-speech-lawsuit&e=31f6b93e1a24c467d8d37f244cb60c17&utm_source=lpcolorado&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=selfie_cost&n=3>
 the Colorado Independent back in 2016. *In fact, her attorney gave both
the Secretary of State and District Attorney Morrisey time to avoid the
lawsuit by admitting that the law was unconstitutional and unenforceable to
which the response was to file suit immediately.*

And she was right. (Here’s the “I told you so” moment.) According to
documents
<http://www.lpcolorado.org/r?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedenverchannel.com%2Fnews%2Finvestigations%2Flegal-fight-over-colorado-ballot-selfies-cost-taxpayers-nearly-135000&e=31f6b93e1a24c467d8d37f244cb60c17&utm_source=lpcolorado&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=selfie_cost&n=4>
 obtained by Denver7 Investigates, the Colorado taxpayers were billed
$135,000 in legal fees to litigate this so-called controversy. The State
paid out settlements in the amount of $122,000 to cover attorney fees for
the plaintiffs. An additional $13,275 was paid to the law firm fired to
defend Morrissey’s order in court.

The end result was Governor John Hickenlooper signing
<http://www.lpcolorado.org/r?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedenverchannel.com%2Fnews%2Fpolitics%2Fhickenlooper-signs-colorado-bill-allowing-ballot-selfies&e=31f6b93e1a24c467d8d37f244cb60c17&utm_source=lpcolorado&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=selfie_cost&n=5>
 a law that nullified the criminal penalty of the law.

Not only does the creation and enforcement of bad laws typically have an
inverse relationship with individual liberties—such as free speech in this
case—but it also creates unnecessary expenses that the taxpayers are forced
to subsidize.

*Feel free to take as many pictures of your future ballots as you please.
And don’t do it just because we told you so, but rather because you are
free to do so.*

Libertarian Party of Colorado
http://www.lpcolorado.org/
<http://www.lpcolorado.org/?e=31f6b93e1a24c467d8d37f244cb60c17&utm_source=lpcolorado&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=selfie_cost&n=6>

REMEMBER TO GET YOUR TICKETS FOR THE 2018 LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF COLORADO
STATE CONVENTION.  WE WILL BE NOMINATING CANDIDATES FOR THE 2018 ELECTIONS
AND ELECTING OUR DELEGATES TO THE NATIONAL CONVENTION.
<http://www.lpcolorado.org/2018conv?e=31f6b93e1a24c467d8d37f244cb60c17&utm_source=lpcolorado&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=selfie_cost&n=7>

Concerned about the expansion of government control and the erosion of
individual liberty? Please consider contributing and becoming active with
the Libertarian Party of Colorado. Libertarians support liberty on all
issues, all the time!
Contribute
<http://www.lpcolorado.org/r?u=http%3A%2F%2Flpcolorado.org%2Fdonate%2F&e=31f6b93e1a24c467d8d37f244cb60c17&utm_source=lpcolorado&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=selfie_cost&n=8>
<http://www.lpcolorado.org/r?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Flpcolorado%2F&e=31f6b93e1a24c467d8d37f244cb60c17&utm_source=lpcolorado&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=selfie_cost&n=9>
<http://www.lpcolorado.org/r?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Flpco&e=31f6b93e1a24c467d8d37f244cb60c17&utm_source=lpcolorado&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=selfie_cost&n=10>
<http://www.lpcolorado.org/r?u=http%3A%2F%2Flpcolorado.org%2F&e=31f6b93e1a24c467d8d37f244cb60c17&utm_source=lpcolorado&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=selfie_cost&n=11>
303-837-9393 <5164760055> | Email <communicationsdirector at lpcolorado.org%20>

This email was sent to carynannharlos at gmail.com by the
Libertarian Party of Colorado
11757 W Ken Caryl Ave
<https://maps.google.com/?q=11757+W+Ken+Caryl+Ave&entry=gmail&source=g>,
F124
Littleton, CO 80127

Unsubscribe
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-- 
*In Liberty,*
*Caryn Ann Harlos*
Region 1 Representative, Libertarian National Committee (Alaska, Arizona,
Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Washington) - Caryn.Ann.
Harlos at LP.org <Caryn.Ann.Harlos at LP.org>
Communications Director, Libertarian Party of Colorado
<http://www.lpcolorado.org>
Chair, LP Historical Preservation Committee
Chair, Libertarian National Party Platform Committee

A haiku to the Statement of Principles:
*We defend your rights*
*And oppose the use of force*
*Taxation is theft*
-------------- next part --------------
   ---------- Forwarded message ----------
   From: Libertarian Party of Colorado
   <[1]CommunicationsDirector at lpcolorado.org>
   Date: Sun, Mar 11, 2018 at 12:28 AM
   Subject: Colorado wasted over 100K of your money over "selfies"
   To: Caryn Harlos <[2]carynannharlos at gmail.com>

   [CO_logo_white.png?1462378117]

   Caryn --

We hate to say “we told you so”, but… we told you so.

   During the 2016 election, the Libertarian Party of Colorado and its
   Communications Director, Caryn Ann Harlos, took issue with an outdated
   “vote trading” law being used to stifle free speech.

   Denver’s city district attorney, Mitch Morrissey blasted out a press
   release that warned voters to abstain from taking pictures of their
   completed ballots and sharing the image on social media. If caught,
   those who ignored this order would be in violation of Colorado Revised
   Statutes, Title 1, Article 13, Section 712, which [3]states:

   “No election official, watcher, or person shall reveal to any other
   person the name of any candidate for whom a voter has voted or
   communicate to another his opinion, belief, or impression as to how or
   for whom a voter has voted.”

   Violating this decades-old statute was, as Morrissey made certain to
   point out, a “misdemeanor offense.”

   And so began the battle over the “ballot selfie.”

   Harlos was actively campaigning for Gary Johnson, the 2016 Presidential
   candidate for the Libertarian Party. She wanted to create a video of
   her completing her ballot and explaining her reasons for voting for
   Johnson.

   “The law is completely draconian and ridiculous,” Harlos [4]states on
   an online video. The video was part of her crowdfunding efforts to
   legally challenge the outdated law. Harlos filed suit in the U.S.
   District Court of Colorado. And she wasn’t alone. Colorado’s ACLU and
   several other concerned citizens filed suit.

   The political will to enforce this mandate didn’t seem matriculate as
   Morrissey has hoped. Very few elected officials seemed eager to enforce
   this law, especially considering the depth and width of the internet
   and capturing every single violation of this antiquated law.

   “If they’re kind of walking around saying they realize this is a dumb
   law, they should save the Colorado taxpayers the money for having to
   litigate this,” Harlos [5]told the Colorado Independent back in
   2016. In fact, her attorney gave both the Secretary of State and
   District Attorney Morrisey time to avoid the lawsuit by admitting that
   the law was unconstitutional and unenforceable to which the response
   was to file suit immediately.

   And she was right. (Here’s the “I told you so” moment.) According
   to [6]documents obtained by Denver7 Investigates, the Colorado
   taxpayers were billed $135,000 in legal fees to litigate this so-called
   controversy. The State paid out settlements in the amount of $122,000
   to cover attorney fees for the plaintiffs. An additional $13,275 was
   paid to the law firm fired to defend Morrissey’s order in court.

   The end result was Governor John Hickenlooper [7]signing a law that
   nullified the criminal penalty of the law.

   Not only does the creation and enforcement of bad laws typically have
   an inverse relationship with individual liberties—such as free speech
   in this case—but it also creates unnecessary expenses that the
   taxpayers are forced to subsidize.

   Feel free to take as many pictures of your future ballots as you
   please. And don’t do it just because we told you so, but rather because
   you are free to do so.

   Libertarian Party of Colorado
   [8]http://www.lpcolorado.org/

   [9]REMEMBER TO GET YOUR TICKETS FOR THE 2018 LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF
   COLORADO STATE CONVENTION.  WE WILL BE NOMINATING CANDIDATES FOR THE
   2018 ELECTIONS AND ELECTING OUR DELEGATES TO THE NATIONAL CONVENTION.

   Concerned about the expansion of government control and the erosion of
   individual liberty? Please consider contributing and becoming active
   with the Libertarian Party of Colorado. Libertarians support liberty on
   all issues, all the time!

   [10]Contribute

   [11][facebook_sm.png?1462378373] [12][twitter_sm.png?1462378382]
   [13][web_sm.png?1462378401]
   [14]303-837-9393 | [15]Email

         This email was sent to [16]carynannharlos at gmail.com by the
                        Libertarian Party of Colorado
                       [17]11757 W Ken Caryl Ave, F124
                             Littleton, CO 80127

                               [18]Unsubscribe

   --
   In Liberty,
   Caryn Ann Harlos
   Region 1 Representative, Libertarian National Committee (Alaska,
   Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Washington)
   - [19]Caryn.Ann. Harlos at LP.org
   Communications Director, [20]Libertarian Party of Colorado
   Chair, LP Historical Preservation Committee
   Chair, Libertarian National Party Platform Committee
   A haiku to the Statement of Principles:
   We defend your rights
   And oppose the use of force
   Taxation is theft

References

   1. mailto:CommunicationsDirector at lpcolorado.org
   2. mailto:carynannharlos at gmail.com
   3. http://www.lpcolorado.org/r?u=https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2016-title-01.pdf&e=31f6b93e1a24c467d8d37f244cb60c17&utm_source=lpcolorado&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=selfie_cost&n=1
   4. http://www.lpcolorado.org/r?u=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SehoLjLMc0&e=31f6b93e1a24c467d8d37f244cb60c17&utm_source=lpcolorado&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=selfie_cost&n=2
   5. http://www.lpcolorado.org/r?u=http://www.coloradoindependent.com/161836/colorado-ballot-selfie-libertarian-free-speech-lawsuit&e=31f6b93e1a24c467d8d37f244cb60c17&utm_source=lpcolorado&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=selfie_cost&n=3
   6. http://www.lpcolorado.org/r?u=https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/investigations/legal-fight-over-colorado-ballot-selfies-cost-taxpayers-nearly-135000&e=31f6b93e1a24c467d8d37f244cb60c17&utm_source=lpcolorado&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=selfie_cost&n=4
   7. http://www.lpcolorado.org/r?u=https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/politics/hickenlooper-signs-colorado-bill-allowing-ballot-selfies&e=31f6b93e1a24c467d8d37f244cb60c17&utm_source=lpcolorado&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=selfie_cost&n=5
   8. http://www.lpcolorado.org/?e=31f6b93e1a24c467d8d37f244cb60c17&utm_source=lpcolorado&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=selfie_cost&n=6
   9. http://www.lpcolorado.org/2018conv?e=31f6b93e1a24c467d8d37f244cb60c17&utm_source=lpcolorado&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=selfie_cost&n=7
  10. http://www.lpcolorado.org/r?u=http://lpcolorado.org/donate/&e=31f6b93e1a24c467d8d37f244cb60c17&utm_source=lpcolorado&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=selfie_cost&n=8
  11. http://www.lpcolorado.org/r?u=https://www.facebook.com/lpcolorado/&e=31f6b93e1a24c467d8d37f244cb60c17&utm_source=lpcolorado&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=selfie_cost&n=9
  12. http://www.lpcolorado.org/r?u=https://twitter.com/lpco&e=31f6b93e1a24c467d8d37f244cb60c17&utm_source=lpcolorado&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=selfie_cost&n=10
  13. http://www.lpcolorado.org/r?u=http://lpcolorado.org/&e=31f6b93e1a24c467d8d37f244cb60c17&utm_source=lpcolorado&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=selfie_cost&n=11
  14. tel:5164760055
  15. mailto:communicationsdirector at lpcolorado.org 
  16. mailto:carynannharlos at gmail.com
  17. https://maps.google.com/?q=11757+W+Ken+Caryl+Ave&entry=gmail&source=g
  18. http://www.lpcolorado.org/unsubscribe?e=31f6b93e1a24c467d8d37f244cb60c17&utm_source=lpcolorado&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=selfie_cost&n=12
  19. mailto:Caryn.Ann.Harlos at LP.org
  20. http://www.lpcolorado.org/