On February 10, three Montana corporations asked the U.S. Supreme Court to let them make independent expenditures in the 2012 election. The case is American Tradition Partnership, Inc., v Attorney General of the State of Montana, no number assigned yet. Here is the document.
On December 30, 2011, the Montana Supreme Court had ruled 5-2 that Montana’s law, making it illegal for corporations to make independent expenditures supporting or opposing candidates for state office, is constitutional. This decision seems to contradict the U.S. Supreme Court opinion Citizens United v Federal Election Commission, issued in 2010, and of course the request to the U.S. Supreme Court points this out. The document to the U.S. Supreme Court is not only a request that the U.S. Supreme Court take the case, but that the Court also issue a stay of the Montana Supreme Court’s ruling while the case is under consideration. Thanks to Thomas Jones for this news. UPDATE: the U.S. Supreme Court has already asked Montana to respond, and that response is due February 15, only five days from now. Thanks to Rick Hasen for the update.
There’s a video of the proceedings on Youtube. But don’t bother. There’s a cold virus flying around the state of Montana, and all three of these corporate “persons” evidently caught it. You can barely hear them exercise their right to free speech, poor things.
#1, you should offer your services to the Montana Attorney General.
For legal research folks –
See Blackstone’s Commentaries
Book I the chapter — Of Corporations.
Too many MORON SCOTUS folks to count — since the early 1800s when more and more corporations got formed.
ANY *artificial* person ONLY has the *rights* allowed which are in the mere law creating it — corporations, partnerships, unions, assumed name entities, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.
Ask any 8 year old kid – Hey kid — do you see any corporation, etc. in your daily day dreams ???
http://www.lonang.com/exlibris/blackstone/bla-118.htm
Justice Blackstone in the 1760s — JUST IN TIME for the American Revolutionary WAR in 1775-1783 and the writing of the early State Constitutions and Bills of Rights.
Too difficult for the SCOTUS MORONS to understand.
There AIN’T that much ORIGINAL legal research to look at for BASIC stuff.
B.C. made a major effort to make sense of the English legal system and is a MAJOR work of Western Civilization
— 4 Books
Parties – Property (much of it Dark Age feudal stuff) – Civil Cases – Criminal Cases
SCORES of British and American editions of B.C. up to about 1900 — when the LAW became totally mystified by appointed SCOTUS robot party hacks.
2 –
Update…
One of the corporate “persons” died of a sudden heart attack last night.
Please send free speech (large bills only, please) in lieu of flowers.