LAW AND ETHICS: LARRY FLYNT al Affiliation) Question It was deemed that the Jerry Falwell parody as presented in the Hustler magazine was lawful. This was largely because of the findings of the court, which claimed that in normal circumstance, people with sound mind and ability to reason would not interpret such parody to posses’ claims with facts. Therefore it was pointless to imagine that there would be facts to overturn the verdict that had been given by the jury that favored Falwell. The case had already awarded Falwell with $150, 000 a damages. The court had noted that the law had protected the rights of freedom of speech as well as freedom of expression, which would work in favor of Larry Flynt.
Question 2
There are several issues that portray the publisher of the Larry Flynt as to have violated several ethical concerns. These ethical concerns revolve around privacy, objectivity and accuracy. First, was the issue of accuracy; when Flynt was approached with the nude pictures of the First Lady Jacqueline Keneddy Onassis, he never sought to establish the facts and context on which the pictures were taken. The first lady is said to have been sunbathing when the photos were taken, and yet the same would not be said in the hustler magazine.
Secondly, Flynt had violated the right of children. The daughter had reported that at 19, Flynt forced him to appear in the magazine posing naked and threatened to kill her if she refused to cooperate. This was one of the ethical considerations he failed to observe in his publication. He did not seek the consent of some of the images he wanted to appear in his magazine.
Lastly, Flynt had been involved in leakage of the FBI videos which could pose threat to the national security.
Question 3
The involvement of many courts in the case of Larry Flynt was because of appeals that were being made in reaction to dissatisfaction that was witnessed in the lower courts. Usually, when there is dissatisfaction on the findings of a particular court verdict, the parties involved may seek redress of the same matter in higher court through appeal. That is why the people felt that the matter should be addressed in the higher courts.
Question 4
The Supreme Court ruling set some precedence in the criminal justice system. It further proved that individual rights were much protected than any other rights. Though it seemed like Larry was favored by the court, the ultimate victory was the people since the court proved that the rights of individuals would be protected by the constitution.
References
Flynt, Larry, and David Eisenbach. One nation under sex: how the private lives of presidents, first ladies and their lovers changed the course of American history. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011. Print.
