Martha Coakley calls for crackdown on Craigslist

[Recursion]

Source: Boston Herald

Attorney General Martha Coakley yesterday demanded that Craigslist shut down the smutty sex ads predators troll to target and attack women, labeling the social networking site used by accused killer Philip Markoff as flat-out “dangerous.”

“Craigslist . . . continues to facilitate everyday prostitution and even human trafficking of men, women and children,” Coakley told the Herald. “Craigslist makes a significant profit from these postings and has refused to monitor the advertisements posted in this section. In the interest of public safety, Craigslist should immediately take down the adult services section of their Web site.”

Coakley’s tough new stance against the Internet behemoth marks a dramatic turnaround from her past position on the controversial sex ads. It also comes just days after Markoff’s shocking suicide and allegations that a Brockton man robbed two women he found on Craigslist.

Last year, Coakley refused to join a bid by 39 other states to crack down on Craigslist, saying online operators are shielded by federal statute.

Read more: http://news.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view/20100820martha_coakley_calls_for_crackdown_on_craigslist_attorney_general_reverses_stance_on_site/srvc=home&position=also

---

You may remember Coakley as the person who forgot to campaign for Senate in Massachusetts, handing the election to Brown.

It's interesting that they're targeting "Adult Services" (ads the sex worker places) rather than "Erotic Gigs" (ads the person seeking a sex worker places). It seems like the latter would be where creeps troll for women to attack.

[marmar]

1. No witches left to burn in Salem, I see.

nt

[Recursion]

3. Now now, they were hung

Or pressed to death with heavy stones.

[happyslug]

7. Or British Nannies or anyone without politcal Connections.

Remember she was the Prosecutor in both the Fells Acres Day Care Center case and the au pair Louise Woodward case. She likes going after people, where the evidence is weak, in high profile cases where she can show she is lawyer who goes after the "bad guys" provided the persons she is going after has no political connection (as can be seen by her refusal to check into the Corruption charges against the Mayor of Boston AND in the case of Police officer Keith Winfield, who raped a woman and she refused to even have the Grand Jury indict the Officer, the victim's family filed a private criminal compliant AND with the aid of her successor as local DA won a conviction).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fells_Acres_Day_Care_Center_preschool_trial

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_Woodward_case

[ixion]

2. ... oy

:eyes:

[Sabriel]

4. Shut down Facebook and Twitter, too

I believe those have both been used by robbers to determine when people are away from their houses.

And shut down the White Pages, as that's been used to find out where people live.

Better yet, put people in safe, padded boxes where nothing will ever hurt them.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

5. Maybe if she'd advertised her last campaign on Craigslist a few more voters would have found her.

W4senate.

[Dr.Phool]

6. Next thing you know, she'll wanna indict Roger Clemmons.

I guess they ran out of criminals in the Northeast.

[Recursion]

9. Hell, I *saw* Whitey Bulger the other day in Eastie

Why not go after him?

[Chan790]

10. That's an easy one.

:rofl:

You're joking, right?

[Recursion]

25. Ha. Mostly

I mean, it just kind of bugs me: everybody knows he lives near castle island. Either take him off the FBI's Most Wanted list, or actually prosecute him. It's absurd.

[formercia]

34. Last time I heard, he was living in Maine, in a retirement home as an elderly lady.

that way, he's close to his haunts and nobody in Maine is going to notice someone from MA.

He does need to get rid of that jerry curl wig, though.....

[meegbear]

8. "forgot to campaign for Senate"

Oh SNAP!

[old mark]

11. This is part of her campaign to run for Senate-She's starting up now!

She expects to be in the running by November!
You GO, Martha!

(dumbass)

mark

[AngryAmish]

12. I hope she never finds out about grindr

[Recursion]

13. Or /b/

God help her if she ever saw /b/

[mzmolly]

14. Good for her.

eom

[Recursion]

15. *shrug* The "masseuses" will start taking out personals ads instead

I don't see what good this will do.

[mzmolly]

16. There are legitimate masseuses.

I shouldn't be able to sell heroine on craigslist should I?

[Recursion]

23. Yes, but there are not legitimate masseuses in the "Adult Services" section of craigslist. NT

[mzmolly]

27. Which is why there should be no adult services section

in states where prostitution is illegal.

[Recursion]

28. Then where do strippers and escorts advertise?

Both of those are legal; should the existence of prostitution make it impossible for them to advertise?

And, on a side question, does it matter that historically this section has been heavily m4m and t4m?

[mzmolly]

31. I haven't an issue with legal

services being advertised anywhere.

[David__77]

17. Ludicrous.

So then all media must be shut down that are simply free exchange. Go after perpetrators of crime, not those allowing a medium of exchange. Craiglist has, until now, been relatively democratic.

[CreekDog]

18. She did this just in time to make the Friday news dump...GENIUS!

:rofl:

[Dappleganger]

19. Can't remember where I read it...

but when this controversy began Craig claimed he had those sections in order keep the sex ads in one place, as he believed that if they were removed then those ads would infiltrate all of the other categories.

He also claims the same with the pet sales (where backyard breeders have a field day). I'm sorry but both of those excuses make me sick.

[Merlot]

21. Last time I checked, selling pets on CL was banned.

Except for legal livestock.

[Dappleganger]

22. Look in the Community Section.

Pets are sold 24/7/365 per year. Numerous complaints have been made but nothing is ever done about it. "Rehoming fees" of $250 and up for puppies which have had no shots, not fixed, etc. is selling. You can find pretty much any gourmet puppy your heart desires on CL. In my area there are even folks who buy "free" or cheap puppies/dogs and re-sell them for more money. CL does NOTHING about it except say they don't agree with it.

The dumbshit is a libertarian, btw.

[Recursion]

24. They're also flagged constantly. Check out the "Flag help" forum

They get several dozen "why was my pet sale ad flagged down?" posts every day.

[Dappleganger]

29. The percentage of flagged ads...

versus those which stay up is miniscule. The ads are up long enough and they continue to flagrantly violate rules but NOTHING is done about it. This is happening in pretty much all areas. If you're in doubt ask on CL help forums.

[Merlot]

20. Well, good. If they can just stop the ads, the whole problem will go away...

right? I mean, before CL, how did anyone find a prostitute?

Certainly not in the back of newspapers that are given away for free...

Nice work, martha

[Recursion]

26. Oddly, if she succeeds this could save the free weekly industry

Since that's where the prostitutes will have to go again. I'd love to see the Phoenix do well again.

[EFerrari]

30. This woman is still an idiot. n/t

[rayofreason]

32. Just legalize prostitution already! n/t

[CTLawGuy]

33. why do I gather that Craigslist

isn't very scared of her...?

[friendly_iconoclast]

35. Beware Martha the Merciless!

"Don't make me hand another election to a Republican!"