So that’s my immediate reaction to the news that Christopher Handley has pled guilty. It’s an easy way to feel, admittedly. It’s not my ass on the line, either literally or figuratively with this case, if he and his lawyers felt that this was the way to go… fine. It makes me feel ill, but fine.
America, these are your rights and freedoms being eroded. Something that makes you feel squeamish but is entirely legal in other first-world countries might send this guy to jail for 15 years, with a $500,000 fine. Something that you reading this could be guilty of* by google image-searching the wrong Japanese manga-ka’s name with the “safesearch” turned off.
“Mr. Handley now faces the loss of his freedom and his property, all for owning a handful of comic books. It’s chilling. ” – Charles Brownstein, Executive Director, CBLDF
“Personally, I wish the CBLDF had been running the case, and not Mr Handley’s lawyers… it’s a bad outcome all around: bad for him, bad for comics and bad for the First Amendment.” – Neil Gaiman
– Christopher
*Actually, only partially guilty for posession, not the mail-related charges. Point stands.
Up to 15 years!?! I wonder where there draw the line for this stuff…shades of grey- morality vs. art- considering the content of the comics.
I personally know Chris Handley. The guy has a rubber spine. Between the idiot lawyer and his VERY domineering mother, he no doubt folded and went along with their demands, just to get it over with.