New Hampshire’s highest court
has ruled that the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles erred when
it told resident David Montenegro he could not get a vanity license
plate that spelled out “COPSLIE.”
The Associated Press reports:
In a unanimous decision, the state Supreme Court agreed with the
arguments of David Montenegro, who wanted the vanity plate reading
“COPSLIE” to protest what he calls government corruption.State law prohibits vanity plates that “a reasonable person
would find offensive to good taste.” But the New Hampshire Civil
Liberties Union argued that the law is unconstitutionally vague and
gives too much discretion to a person behind a Department of Motor
Vehicles counter.New Hampshire had argued that state workers were right to deny
the plate, because the phrase disparages an entire class of people
— police officers.The justices said that state law does not define the phrase
“offensive to good taste.”
Montenegro was represented by a lawyer from the New Hampshire
Civil Liberties Union.
During arguments for the case last November, justices grilled
attorneys as to whether approval of a license plate would be
dependent on whether a DMV worker agreed with the sentiment. One
pointed out that a license plate pointing out how awesome cops are
would probably not be rejected.
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