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An example here of left-wing fake news - Virginia Bill Wouldn’t Criminalize Criticism

By Angelo Fichera Posted on January 31, 2020

Quick Take

Online headlines falsely claim that Virginia lawmakers want to make criticizing state officials a “criminal offense.” The bill doesn’t create new offenses. It would merely allow cases of threats or harassment against some state officials to be prosecuted in Richmond.

Full Story

Viral headlines peddled by multiple .. http://archive.is/7btus .. websites .. http://archive.is/YPysP .. have warned that a bill in Virginia’s state legislature would make a “criminal offense” out of criticizing the state’s elected officials.

Actually, the bill in question doesn’t create any new criminal offenses.

A review of the proposed state legislation, House Bill 1627, shows that the bill would make changes to where certain crimes against public officials can be prosecuted, but it doesn’t change the existing statutory offenses.

The bill proposes several amendments to the law that would make it so that cases of threats or harassment against certain state officials — or threats against some state-owned property — could be prosecuted in the state capital of Richmond, regardless of where such messages were sent or received. Under the current law, some of the statutes contain language that says such prosecutions can occur in locales where the communication was made or received.

https://www.factcheck.org/2020/01/virginia-bill-wouldnt-criminalize-criticism/

Relatively rare, yet sadly happens.