Judges are the weakest link in our system of justice, and they are also the most protected.
– Alan Dershowitz
Here is an important update on Aaron Walker, Brett Kimberlin and the atrocity against the first amendment committed by a judge in Maryland, among others, which led this and other blogs to go virtually dark in protest for a day:
Fortunately for bloggers and all people who value free speech, Aaron Walker has not taken the removal of his rights lying down. You may remember the disturbing ruling on Tuesday May 29 order by Maryland Judge C.J. Vaughey forbidding Virginia blogger Walker from mentioning Brett Kimberlin, the Speedway Bomber who has been the recent beneficiary of substantial money from high-profile leftists. I laid out a synopsis of all this here.
Walker’s speech rights were stifled by Judge Vaughey, a man who apparently has no regard for the first amendment. Thankfully for Walker, you, me, and everyone else, Nelson W. Rupp, Jr. holds our constitutional protections in high regard. Judge Rupp has ordered that the parts of Vaughey’s ruling forbidding the blogging and tweeting about Kimberlin may not be enforced, and that Aaron Walker can speak. Speak he has. Now that the gag has been lifted, Walker will give us many details of the story he was forbidden to discuss.
Congratulations to Mr. Walker for fighting and winning a battle which makes us all more free. Thanks are also due to Reginald Bours, a true friend to free speech who took the case pro bono.
Next for this case will be a trial on July 5th, when the entirety of the order will be appealed and hopefully tossed out. For now at least, one miscarriage has been righted. Further down the line will be Mr. Walker’s federal lawsuit against terrorist Brett Kimberlin where Walker alleges defamation, harassment and invasion of privacy, tortious interference with contract, federal extortion, intentional infliction of emotional distress, interference with business expectations, and federal stalking.
One wonders what penalty will befall C.J. Vaughey for his official repression. Removal from the bench? Disbarment? A stiff fine or jail for contempt? No, sadly these are unlikely outcomes for this judge who told a defendant that he didn’t care about the relevant United States Supreme Court ruling on the issue, but was simply going to invent his own rules.
