AdLLaw is the Anti-Defamation Legacy Law Initiative for the United States of America. The proposed initiative was conceived early 2010 after a group of people grew tired of witnessing the day to day defamation of Michael Jackson beginning the night of his death. The group began to see it was not only famous decedents who were being defamed and their legacies damaged. Originally it was known as CadeFlaw and was meant just for the State of California. In the summer of 2013 the California Initiative was expanded to include all of the USA. The proposed law was drafted by the California Judicial Counsel, but it is written so it could fit in with each State’s slander laws for the living.
The Initiative is meant for the family, successors or estate administrators of defamed decedents, whether they are known the world over or their world is their home town. The wording of the Initiative is tailored so it offers family, successors or estate administrators of defamed decedents the same opportunities to bring about a defamation civil suit as if the defamed was available to do so themselves.
Like any law AdLLaw must fit in without violating existing laws. This is why the current draft is so important, because the lawyers understood the greatest challenge in presenting an anti-defamation initiative to a State Senate was protecting the 1st Amendment.
The intent of this proposed law is to be a deterrent to defamation of the deceased and when necessary a tool used for the worst of offenders. There are people who drive recklessly without regard to the safety of others. If there was a law which said they would go to prison if their driving causes an accident which harms someone a mile away that will be enough for some to stop. This makes the law a deterrent. Then there are those who must be held responsible for their actions when they knowingly cause harm and will not stop. Although, there is generally no criminal charges associated with slander, for many the financial penalties can be what it takes for them to stop or recant their defamation. This is when the law can be a tool.
As stated earlier, AdLLaw will not fix or stop every piece of slander or libel done to the deceased as more than it does for the living, but something is better than nothing. Giving people a chance to use this as a deterrent is better than depending upon the ethics and moral conscious of slanderers. It is better than hoping people who do not have a vested interest in the personal legacy of the decedent will take care of the problem.
This is not the first time there was an attempt to get an anti-defamation for the deceased law passed. In 1987 an Initiative made it up to the New York State Senate. Due to lobbying by media agencies such as People magazine it was allowed to sit around and finally die. This Initiative will face lobbying groups by the Media. It is up to us to insure it neither dies nor is it ignored.
If you have not already signed the AdLLaw Global Petition please do so, but only once. If you previously signed the CadeFlaw Petition please sign the below Global Petition. It can only be counted if you use your real information. After signing the Petition US persons please send a letter or email to the two Senators who represent your State in Washington DC and send an email or letter to the President. Tell them you support this Imitative and would like for them to do the same. Pass this on to family and friends urging them to do the same.
The life and legacy of the decease lies in the memory of the living.
AdLLaw Global Petition
Submitted by: S. Kendrick – a.k.a. Dial Dancer
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Anti-Defamation Legacy Law Advocates (AdLLaw/Cadeflaw Initiatives) 