By this time, the ACLU shifted into an anti-free speech group by advocating a silencing of the court proceedings.
ACLU terms NAMBLA suit a 'witch hunt'
The Boston Herald
July 18, 2001
By J. M. LAWRENCE
The ACLU yesterday asked a federal judge to toss out a $ 200 million lawsuit against a group advocating adult sex with boys, arguing the case is merely a "witch hunt" spurred by the murder of a Cambridge child.
The lawsuit, brought by the family of slain 10-year-old Jeffrey Curley and funded by conservative Christian groups with more than $ 10,000, demands the names of all members of the North American Man-Boy Love Association. "That, more than anything, shows the purpose of this suit and why it should be dismissed," ACLU attorney John Reinstein told the court, arguing the First Amendment protects the group's Web site and published materials.
Lawyers for Robert and Barbara Curley have asked the judge to let them sue under RICO laws.
NAMBLA is a criminal organization "that exists to train pedophiles to rape children," according to the suit.
NAMBLA materials were found in the home of Charles Jaynes, one of two men convicted of killing Jeffrey Curley in October 1997 and who molested the boy's body.
The ACLU also sought to blunt headlines on the case by asking a judge to gag both sides' attorneys.
Judge George A. O'Toole took all the motions under advisement. |
