U.S. v. Lacey & Larkin

FPC’s coverage of the prosecution of publishers Michael Lacey and Jim Larkin on charges related to Backpage.

Screenshot of the photo and headline treatment that topped Elizabeth Nolan Brown's August 2018 Reason.com profile of Michael Lacey and Jim Larkin, former owners of the online classified-ad site Backpage.com. Shows a photo of Lacey and Larkin, along with the story's headline, 'The Senate Accused Them of Selling Kids for Sex. The FBI Raided Their Homes. Backpage.com’s Founders Speak for the First Time. An inside look at how indie media veterans James Larkin and Michael Lacey became the targets of a federal witchhunt.'
Backpage, Censorship, First Amendment, Free Speech Rattler, Freedom of Speech, Joe Arpaio, John McCain, Media, News, Section 230, U.S. v. Lacey & Larkin

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In an in-depth profile by Elizabeth Nolan Brown published this week on the website Reason.com, veteran newspaper publishers and former Backpage.com co-owners Michael Lacey and Jim Larkin spoke out candidly about their arrests on federal charges of money laundering, conspiracy,…

Photo of Michael Lacey and Jim Larkin, wearing sport coats, outside federal court in downtown Phoenix, Arizona.
Backpage, Censorship, First Amendment, News, U.S. v. Lacey & Larkin

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Federal prosecutors in Phoenix recently filed a  new, superseding indictment against seven former owners and executives of the online listings giant Backpage.com. Dated July 25, the complaint largely reprises the dozens of allegations that formed the basis of the original…

color photo of a grizzled, grinning Michael Lacey walking, hand in hand with his wife, as an unidentified reporter runs alongside, taking a picture with his phone.
Backpage, Censorship, First Amendment, Free Speech Rattler, Freedom of Speech, News, Sex Trafficking, Sex Work, U.S. v. Lacey & Larkin

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The smile on Michael Lacey’s face as he exited the Sandra Day O’Connor U.S. Courthouse in Phoenix, Arizona, at a little after noon on Friday was worth a million dollars. Literally. That morning, Lacey posted a $1 million bond, secured…

video screenshot of former Backpage.com owner and CEO Carl Ferrer at a 2017 hearing of the U.S. Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
Backpage, Censorship, First Amendment, Freedom of Speech, News, Section 230, Sex Trafficking, U.S. v. Lacey & Larkin

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If you didn’t know that the Backpage case was about online classified advertising, you might think the U.S. Department of Justice was mounting a prosecution against the Mafia. Late on Thursday, the DOJ announced that it has turned Backpage CEO…

color photo of criminal defense attorney Paul Cambria in suit and tie
Backpage, Censorship, First Amendment, Free Speech Rattler, Freedom of Speech, News, Sex Trafficking, Sex Work, U.S. v. Lacey & Larkin

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Looking as hale and hearty as a man can while clad in prisoner’s stripes, Michael Lacey inched closer to freedom on Wednesday afternoon during an appearance before a federal judge in Phoenix to determine the terms of his release. The…

video screenshots of former Backpage.com owners Michael Lacey and Jim Larkin at a 2017 hearing of the U.S. Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
Backpage, Censorship, First Amendment, Free Speech Rattler, Freedom of Speech, News, Sex Trafficking, Sex Work, U.S. v. Lacey & Larkin

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Zero sex-trafficking charges. That’s the most glaring aspect of a Phoenix federal grand jury’s belatedly unsealed 93-count indictment against seven current and former owners and operators of the online listings site Backpage.com. The defendants include veteran newspapermen Michael Lacey and Jim…

Michael Lacey, dressed in black and frowning, seated at a table in front of a microphone and a placard that bears his name
Backpage, Censorship, First Amendment, Free Speech Rattler, News, Section 230, Sex Work, U.S. v. Lacey & Larkin

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UPDATE 4/9/18, 2:43 PM: The indictment has just become available, and you can read it here. Along with Lacey and Larkin, other erstwhile Backpage execs are indicted. CEO Carl Ferrer’s name is not among the indicted, though a “C.F.” is…

black-and-white photo of a windup toy that resembles a Frankenstein monster
Backpage, Freedom of Speech, News, Section 230, Sex Trafficking, U.S. v. Lacey & Larkin

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The U.S. House on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a poorly conceived bill to combat sex trafficking, notwithstanding an 11th-hour letter from the Department of Justice declaring that the legislation is “unconstitutional.” Dubbed the “Frankenstein bill” by its critics, H.R. 1865, the Fight Online…