First amendment allows political ads to run — even if they have misleading statements – WRAL News

In court, "truth" is more subjective than you may think.

THIS CASE IS DEAD AS WELL. AN 18 YEAR-OLD. >> HI, EVERYBODY. HELLO THERE. I'M DAN HAGGERTY. THIS IS THE PART OF THE NEWSCAST. WE DISCUSS THE NEWS A LITTLE BIT NOW WORKING ON A FEW DIFFERENT THINGS. BUT I DO WANT TO CHECK IN CHECK IN WITH YOU QUICKLY TONIGHT IN JUST A COUPLE OF E-MAILS BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN SENDING SO MANY OF THEM LIKE BETSY FROM CHAPEL HILL, WHO IS APPARENTLY A BIG FAN, BUT SHE'S A LITTLE CONFLICTED. SHE EMAILS DAN WRAL DOT COM AND SAID THIS. WE FIND OURSELVES TO BE JEOPARDY. LOYALISTS IN COMMERCIAL BREAKS. WE SWITCHED WRAL NEWS. IF YOU'RE RUNNING AN IN-DEPTH FEATURE, WE'VE CAUGHT A FEW, BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHEN YOUR SEGMENTS TYPICALLY RUN ARE THE WEEKLY OR ARE THEY ON A PARTICULAR DAY AND WE JUST HAVE NOT FOUND A PATTERN YET. THAT'S PROBABLY BECAUSE THERE ISN'T A PATTERN YET, BUT WE'RE WORKING ON THAT. I'M TRYING TO BUILD A LITTLE BIT OF A TEAM POSSIBLY AND HOPEFULLY SOON WILL BE DOING SOMETHING EVERY NIGHT. IN THE MEANTIME, THAT C. WHO CARES ABOUT JEOPARDY. HONESTLY, I KNOW IT'S ON THE SAME TIME AS ME. I KNOW IT RECENTLY PASSED 60 MINUTES TO BECOME THE MOST WATCHED NON-SPORTS SHOW ON TV. BUT LET'S SEE. DO YOU REALLY WANT TO FOLLOW THE PACK AND WATCH ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR THINGS IN AMERICAN CULTURE OR AND HEAR ME OUT HERE OR >> YOU WANT TO WATCH ME. >> A GUY SPENDS SOMETIMES 8 STRAIGHT MINUTES TALKING ABOUT THINGS LIKE BRIAN AND THE OLD SUPREME COURT OPINIONS TO A COOLER THAT WAY. IN FACT, YOU CAN FIND EVERYTHING I TALK ABOUT ON WRAL'S NEW YOUTUBE CHANNEL HAVE AN ENTIRE PLAYLIST CALLED IN DEPTH WITH DAN HAGGERTY WERE STILL KIND OF FINE TUNING THE VISUALS. IF YOU LOOK AT A COUPLE OF THE THUMBNAILS LIKE THIS ONE DOESN'T EXACTLY SAY LOOK AT ME, I'M GOING TO SAY SOMETHING SMART, BUT WE'RE WORKING ON IT. OKAY. SO PLEASE STICK WITH US. YOU'LL FIND ALL THE TOPICS THAT YOU EMAIL ME ABOUT THAT WE DISCUSS HERE DURING THIS SEGMENT LIKE MY RECENT DISCUSSION WITH YOU ABOUT POLITICAL ADS, YOU MAY REMEMBER THAT WE TALKED TO A LAWYER WHO WORKS WITH CAMPAIGNS TO CHECK THEIR ADS BEFORE THEY AIR. IT CONFIRMED TO US SOMETHING THAT WAS KIND OF HARD TO BELIEVE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT EFFECTIVELY THESE CANDIDATES CAN LIE IN THESE ACTS BECAUSE OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT. AND IN THAT SEGMENT, I DISCUSSED THE CONCERNS THAT A VIEWER NAMED CAROL SHARED WITH ME RECENTLY. CARROLL SAID DAN. I WONDER ABOUT THE ETHICS OF THE STATIONS TO RUN ADS. IF THE AD IS DECLARED FALSE, BY FACT, CHECKED, WHY IS THE AD NOT PULLED THE MONEY? IS THE MONEY VALUED ABOVE THE TRUTH. I'M DISTURBED BY AS NOT BEING PULLED THE NEGATIVE. CHERI BEASLEY AD IS ONE THAT STICKS OUT. AND I KNOW THAT IT FEELS KIND OF STRANGE, BUT THE TRUTH ISN'T NECESSARILY PART OF THAT TRANSACTION. AND IN COURT, TRUTH IS MORE SUBJECTIVE THAN YOU MAY THINK. THAT'S WHY WE HAVE PEOPLE LIKE PAUL SPAY AND POLITIFACT TO EXPLAIN THE FREE SPEECH THAT YOU HEAR DURING OUR COMMERCIAL BREAK. SOMETIMES PAUL CARROLL MENTION CHERI BEASLEY AND ADD THAT RUNS ON OUR AIR MAKING SOME CLAIMS ABOUT HER RULINGS AND A DEATH SENTENCE CASE AND AN ASSAULT ON A MINOR. >> THE FORMER SUPREME COURT JUSTICE CHERI BEASLEY GO EASY ON DEFENDANTS IN A PAIR OF SENSITIVE CASES. THAT'S WHAT THE NATIONAL REPUBLICAN SENATORIAL COMMITTEE SUGGEST ITS NEW ATTACK AD. TAKE A LOOK. >> THE WORST THING COMES. THE STATION AND CHIEF JUSTICE SHERRY BEASLEY FAILED TO PROTECT THEM. THE MURDERER SHOW DOUBLING THE FACE BC. THEY CAME TO HIS SON'S MEN CONVICTED OF SEXUALLY ASSAULTING A 7 YEAR-OLD GIRL. SHE THREW OUT THE INDICTMENT. >> BEASLEY IS A DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE IN NORTH CAROLINA'S U.S. SENATE RACE WILL TAKE ON REPUBLICAN TED BUDD IN NOVEMBER. THE AD MAKES 2 CLAIMS ABOUT HER THAT SHE VACATED THE DEATH SENTENCE FOR SOMEONE WHO SHOT A TEENAGER AND THAT SHE THREW OUT THE INDICTMENT OF A MAN CONVICTED OF ASSAULTING A YOUNG GIRL. THE AD IS SOMEWHAT ACCURATE. BUT LET'S BE CLEAR ABOUT SOMETHING NEITHER OF THESE CASES WAS ABOUT THE DEFENDANT'S ACTIONS AND THE DEATH SENTENCE CASE. A MAN HAD BEEN CONVICTED OF MURDERING A 17 YEAR-OLD. HE WAS INITIALLY GIVEN THE DEATH PENALTY. BUT THEN YOU SOMETHING CALLED THE RACIAL JUSTICE ACT TO GET HIS SENTENCE REDUCED TO LIFE IN PRISON. STATE LAWMAKERS THEN REPEAL THE RACIAL JUSTICE ACT AND THE STATE SUPREME COURT WAS ASKED SHOULD THE MEN BE SENT BACK TO DEATH ROW BEASLEY IN THE COURT RULED NO, THAT WOULD BE DOUBLE JEOPARDY. SO HE'LL SERVE LIFE IN PRISON. AS FOR THE CASE WITH THE YOUNG GIRL, THE MAN WHO HAD BEEN CONVICTED ARGUED TO HAVE HIS CASE THROWN OUT BECAUSE PROSECUTORS DIDN'T COMPLY WITH STATE LAW AS IT APPLIES TO IDENTIFYING HIS ACCUSER. THE INDICTMENT REFERRED ONLY TO THE GIRL AS VICTIM ONE. THE COURT RULED 42 THAT THE INDICTMENT DID NOT DISTINGUISH THE DEFENDANT ACCUSER FROM OTHER VICTIMS. BEASLEY IN THE 3 OTHER CITED THIS STATE LAW WHICH SAYS INDICTMENTS MUST HAVE SOME FORM OF IDENTIFYING INFORMATION FOR THE VICTIM. SO ALTOGETHER, THAT AD HAD SOME ACCURATE INFORMATION, BUT IT LEAVES OUT A LOT OF IMPORTANT CONTEXT AND THAT'S WHY THE TREATIES OR A GET AFTER IT. >> TO READ MORE ABOUT THOSE CASES, GO TO WRAL DOT COM. THANKS TO PAUL TRYING TO HELP US TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU SEE IN THESE ADS AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE PLENTY MORE AS WE APPROACH THE NOVEMBER ELECTION. BUT THERE'S A LOT MORE IN GENERAL TO TALK ABOUT. SO PLEASE E-MAIL ME AT DAN. >> AT WRAL DOT COM, NOT TRY TO RESPOND TO EVERY SINGLE E-MAIL. PLEASE BE PATIENT. I GET A TON OF THEM. SO IF YOU HAVEN'T GOTTEN A RESPONSE YET, TRUST ME. I'M WORKING ON IT. IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE TO SAY BE PERSISTENT. LIKE KARL WHO SAID, I ENJOY YOUR PROVOKING DISCUSSIONS OF CONTROVERSIAL QUESTIONS, BUT I HAVE NOT SEEN ONE PRESSING ISSUE TREATED. WHAT HAPPENED WITH KAT CAMPBELL IS VISIT TO ICELAND. WE WERE SUPPOSED TO GET DAILY REPORTS WITH PICTURES OF WATERFALLS AND VOLCANOES, ET CETERA. BUT I SAW ONLY ONE ON THE FIRST DAY OF ARRIVAL WITH A HUGE CHURCH. THEN SUDDENLY SHE WAS BACK ON THE AIR AS IF NOTHING HAD HAPPENED. NO WORD MENTION OF ICELAND, WRAL TRYING TO COVER SOMETHING UP. YES. IS A SECRET AGENT.

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First amendment allows political ads to run -- even if they have misleading statements - WRAL News