SNIP The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will be out more than $150,000 after losing a legal battle to a man who wanted to put "IM GOD" on his license plate. Kentucky statute allows for personalized license plates as long as the letters do not discriminate against anyone because of their sex, race, color, religion or nationality. In Hart's case, the court ruled that vanity plates were private speech and therefore protected by the First Amendment. On Monday, a judge ordered the Transportation Cabinet to pay out $150,715.50 in attorneys' fees and an additional $491.24 for court costs. ENDSNIP https://www.yahoo.com/news/kentucky-officials-ordered-pay-150-195842027.html I really don't know how I feel about this one... I certainly understand the concept of free speech, and I don't know how that plate would violate that, but certainly there will continue to be standards, right? I'm not sure how you can discriminate against those basic categories in 7 letters? Can I put "KLLTRMP" on my plate? Or since it's Kentucky, how about "COKMTCH"?? I certainly hope somebody has "COVFEFE" in every state... Personally, I can only decipher about 50% of the vanity plates i see on the road... It's fun to try, but you are never sure you nailed it... Food for thought? What's the line on vanity plates? Anybody have a problem with "IM GOD"??
Really? Seems to me other than the occasional hitch, it's a pretty low cost way for states to make some easy bucks... But maybe the hassle is finally outweighing the benefits? Good point..
It sounds like the only ones who benefited here were the attorneys. $150K to the attorneys, $400 in court costs, and the guy gets his IM GOD license plate, but it doesn't sound like he got any money. That one took me a second
Exactly. The Guy (personally) won"t see a penny. The order only covers legal fees and costs: The order signed on February 10 stated that Kentucky has to pay more than $150,000 in attorney’s fees and litigation costs to cover fees representing Hart in court.
The are a lot of mentally disturbed people running around. Therefore, IMHO only idiots put attention attracting license plates, political license plates, political bumper stickers, etc. on their car. The problem with seeking attention from the unwashed is that attention received may be undesirable.
Again, I'm torn... I have no problem with fun plates that can be deciphered during a single stop light... However, if it gets political (or religious, like this guy), it turns from fun to disconcerting in a heartbeat. Mine's fun... not everybody gets it immediately, but I've gotten dozens of positive comments on it in parking lots and such over the years... I wish everybody thought that way... Alas...
