Court upholds constitutional protections in John Ley case, suppresses overbroad warrant

Clark County Superior Court rules in favor of John Ley, upholding First Amendment protections in voter registration case. — John Ley and Vancouver attorney Angus Lee

The warrant, issued in 2022, had sought access to the content of Ley’s communications and phone call records during his candidacy for state representative

VANCOUVER – In a significant victory for free speech and the right to private association, the Clark County Superior Court has ruled in favor of Clark County resident John Ley by suppressing private information obtained through an overbroad and insufficiently specific search warrant. The warrant, issued in 2022, had sought access to the content of Ley’s communications and phone call records during his candidacy for state representative in the 18th Legislative District. The court found that the warrant violated both the First Amendment and constitutional standards for warrant specificity.

The ruling comes after Ley’s legal team, the Angus Lee Law Firm, filed a comprehensive motion to challenge the scope and execution of the warrant. The motion highlighted that the warrant sought evidence without sufficient particularity and infringed on Ley’s constitutionally protected political speech and associations. The court agreed that the warrant was overbroad and ordered the suppression of any message content or phone call records obtained through it.

“The court’s ruling sends a clear message: constitutional rights do not take a back seat to overzealous investigations,” said attorney Angus Lee. “This ruling not only protects candidate John Ley’s privacy but sets an important precedent for ensuring that government power does not extend beyond its lawful limits, particularly when it comes to targeting political candidates.”

The court found that the warrant was overly broad to the extent that it sought the content of Ley’s communications. Citing the First Amendment, the ruling affirms that political speech lies at the core of free speech protections and requires the highest degree of particularity in any search warrant. The court also recognized that the collection of phone call records from Ley’s communications violated the right to private association under the First Amendment, underscoring the need to protect individuals’ associations from unwarranted government scrutiny.

“Freedom of speech and association are not mere ideals — they are the bedrock of our democracy,” said Angus Lee. “This ruling ensures that political candidates are not subject to broad, intrusive searches based on contested interpretations of residency laws. It protects not only Mr. Ley’s rights but the rights of all individuals engaging in the political process.”

The court’s decision to suppress private information obtained under the 2022 warrant is a crucial step in protecting candidates from investigations that violate constitutional rights. As Angus Lee noted, “This case is about more than John Ley. It is about safeguarding democratic participation and ensuring that our political process remains free from government overreach.”

The Angus Lee Law Firm emphasized that this ruling could have a broader impact, warning against any use of government resources to conduct politically motivated investigations.

“We will continue to defend the constitutional rights of our clients and hold government agencies accountable when they overstep their legal authority,” Lee added.

This landmark decision underscores the importance of upholding constitutional principles even amidst heightened political scrutiny and reaffirms the judiciary’s role in protecting individual rights against governmental excess.

Ley still faces charges from his 2022 candidacy for allegedly registering to vote and as a candidate in an incorrect voter district. His trial is scheduled for February.

The warrant, issued in 2022, had sought access to the content of Ley’s communications and phone call records during his candidacy for state representative

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