Douglass Mackey's seven-month prison sentence for posting a meme discouraging Hillary Clinton supporters from voting was overturned by the Court of Appeals. Mackey, known as Ricky Vaughn, was found guilty of participating in a conspiracy to infringe on voting rights after his meme suggested supporters could avoid polling lines by texting. The court ruled unanimously that the government failed to prove Mackey knowingly entered the alleged conspiracy, clarifying that mere posting of the meme did not suffice for a legal violation, and remanded the case for judgment of acquittal.
The court ruled that the mere fact that Mackey posted memes, even with intent to injure others' voting rights, is not enough to prove a violation of Section 241.
The court emphasized that the government was obligated to show Mackey knowingly entered into an agreement with others to pursue the objective of interfering with voting rights.
Mackey's conviction was based on insufficient evidence that he agreed to join a conspiracy to deprive people of their constitutional voting rights.
The Appeals Court unanimously reversed Mackey's conviction and instructed the district court to enter a judgment of acquittal.
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