CL Sues SC AG For Declaratory Relief:

craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster announced on the official craigslist blog today that he has filed a lawsuit against South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster. Buckmaster claims that McMaster’s threat of prosecution against craigslist is a violation of free speech. Now I’m no fancy lawyerin’ type but I thought that the facilitation of a criminal activity was not a protected form of speech. In my opinion, I find that scoundrels usually try to wrap themselves in the first amendment when they’re feet are being held to the legal fire.

Once again Mr. Buckmaster tries to tout the ‘virtues’ of craigslist…

Mr McMaster has persisted with his threats despite the fact that craigslist:

* is operating in full compliance with all applicable laws
* has earned a reputation for being unusually responsive to requests from law enforcement
* has eliminated its “erotic services” category for all US cities
* has adopted screening measures far stricter than those Mr McMaster himself personally endorsed with his signature just 6 months ago
* has far fewer and far tamer adult service ads than many mainstream print and online venues operating in South Carolina
* has made its representatives available to hear Mr McMaster’s concerns in person
* has politely asked Mr McMaster to retract and apologize for his unreasonable threats

Let’s take this one by the numbers.

1. All laws except that pesky prostitution one. Your local laws may vary.

2. They may be unusually responsive to law enforcement but they have to be because of all the crime that their site generates.

3. Erotic services is gone but adult services is now here. It’s barely a change in my opinion.

4. As far as I’m concerned the 40 or so AGs who entered into that agreement were idiots for doing so. They should have gone even further against craigslist but most politicians are clueless idiots who only do feel-good legislation to get re-elected. I’m sure this is AG McMaster’s motivation but I think he’s right.

5. Yet most of the arrests for online prostitution come from craigslist. While I’m not a fan of Backpage either quit trying to deflect the blame from yourself.

6. While I can’t really comment on this one I wonder how available craigslist really made their representatives to Mr. McMaster.

7. Politely asked for an apology? Apparently, Mr. Buckmaster’s idea of polite is far different from mine.

While we’re on the subject of South Carolina and the craigslist blog Mr. Buckmaster keeps touting on the blog about how other online avenues have many more ads for prostitution than craigslist does in South Carolina. Now I’m not accusing Mr. Buckmaster of any improprieties but it would be easy for craigslist to limit the number of ads in the adult services section of craigslist in South Carolina just to make a point.