CARSON CITY, Nev. – A Las Vegas Negro won a room effort weekday with the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles over his "HOE" authorise plate, which the authority proven to equilibrate on deposit that he was using a slang meaning to prostitutes.
The broad suite said the DMV supported its contestant to William Junge's bag on definitions institute in the Web-based Urban Dictionary, which includes individual contributions. Justices ruled that the contributed definitions "do not ever emit mostly recognized definitions for words."
Junge, whose housing was pursued by the dweller Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, said he got the "HOE" bag in 1999 for his Chevy Tahoe, after existence told "TAHOE" wasn't available.
"It's nonsense," Junge said of the land agency's efforts to vantage his plates. The 62-year-old said he was referring to his vehicle's help and not to prostitutes with his plates, adding: "That was their interpretation. Shame on them."
The broad suite said Urban Dictionary "allows, if not encourages, users to excogitate newborn text or concept new, not mostly recognized meanings to existing words."
But "a commonsensible nous would not accept the Urban Dictionary entries lonely as competent to hold a closing that the word 'HOE' is opprobrious or inappropriate," the justices wrote.
Rebecca Gasca of the ACLU of Nevada said the endeavor by a DMV programme to equilibrate Junge's authorise bag desecrated essential First Amendment protections. Junge dropped discover of the proceedings after the DMV appealed to the Supreme Court, but the ACLU continuing the fight.
"While the Urban Dictionary strength be an diverting Web place most the arts language, the suite recognized it's not a sure maker for DMV decision-making most whether a authorise bag is vulgar," Gasca said.
In cursive underpants submitted to the land Supreme Court, an professional for the DMV argued there was no First Amendment violation and the land has a commonsensible foundation for control pridefulness plates on vehicles. It also said the constituent "hoe" was uncomplimentary toward women.
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