ALAMOGORDO, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico man's decision to lash out with a billboard ad saying his ex-girlfriend had an abortion against his wishes has touched off a legal debate over free speech and privacy rights.
The sign on Alamogordo's main thoroughfare shows 35-year-old Greg Fultz holding the outline of an infant. The text reads, "This Would Have Been A Picture Of My 2-Month Old Baby If The Mother Had Decided To Not KILL Our Child!"
Fultz's ex-girlfriend has taken him to court for harassment and violation of privacy. A domestic court official has recommended the billboard be removed.
But Fultz's attorney argues the order violates his client's free speech rights.
"As distasteful and offensive as the sign may be to some, for over 200 years in this country the First Amendment protects distasteful and offensive speech," Todd Holmes said.
The woman's friends say she had a miscarriage, not an abortion, according to a report in the Albuquerque Journal.
Holmes disputes that, saying his case is based on the accuracy of his client's statement....
An Otero County Domestic Violence Court hearing commissioner recommended Wednesday an order of protection be granted to Nani Lawrence because Greg A. Fultz displayed a pro-life billboard about their relationship, which violated Lawrence's right to privacy.
Hearing commissioner Darrell Brantley also recommended the billboard be taken down by 8:15 a.m. on June 16.
Twelfth Judicial District Judge James W. Counts is expected (today) to sign the order of protection and an order to remove the billboard located on White Sands Boulevard between First and Second streets.
The billboard depicts an Alamogordo businessman, GEFNET owner Fultz, 35, holding what appears to the outline of a baby in his arms as he is looking down at it. Next to the picture, in large print, is the statement, "This Would Have Been A Picture Of My 2-month Old Baby If The Mother Had Decided To Not KILL Our Child!"
The billboard appeared on White Sands Boulevard sometime between May 13 and May 16....
This 35 year old guy, Greg Fultz, had a girlfriend named Nani Lawrence who was 17 and he got her pregnant. She says she had a miscarriage, all her friends say she had a miscarriage, he says he thinks she had an abortion, but anyway, she wound up breaking up with him.
So he put up this billboard:
Here's another view of it:
Nani Lawrence was granted an order of protection by a Domestic Violence Court judge and Greg Fultz was ordered to take down the billboard by June 16 or else he'll go to jail, but his lawyer is fighting the billboard removal as a free speech issue.
I wonder what his lawyer is going to think when he gets to court and is broadsided with this? I'll bet Greg Fultz didn't tell him about it.
http://s1223.photobucket.com/albums/dd516/whtrbt2011/?albumview=slideshow
