But if a candidate posts a forged vital record that’s a problem. Right?
But if a candidate posts a forged vital record that’s a problem. Right?
I'm not exactly sure on that... and I'll tell you why.
The first thing I would consider is if there is a problem with anyone posting a forged document on the Internet. In other words, if I were to make up some document and post it on the Internet, would I be in trouble for doing that?
To tell you the truth, I don't know if it's illegal to post something on a website that is fake and totally made up -- and showing it "to the world"...
Now, if I were to take this document carry it down to the DMV and get a driver's license with it, then yeah, I would be in big trouble. But, if I posted that same document on the Internet -- I don't think I would be in big trouble (or even a little bit of trouble).
Going further with this and also presuming a few things, because I have to presume a few things to proceed, because I don't have all the data at hand.
I'm presuming that there is a birth certificate that shows that Obama is born in Hawaii and that any time a court of law requires it or orders it, that the State of Hawaii will produce that certified copy to the court and that will be evidence of Obama being born in Hawaii.
NOW..., having said that, and going back to a document that is forged, and that document being posted on the Internet -- again, I don't know if that's going to be a crime, given that there is a birth certificate that any court can require to be shown to them and it shows Obama is born in Hawaii.
I say that, because essentially, that's what that document on the Internet says -- that he was born in Hawaii. If the "forged document" shows that he was born in Hawaii and a real certified copy (shown to a court of law) says that he was born in Hawaii, then what would be the crime? That would be the question I would have. And especially so, since that "Internet document" is not used for any legal purposes (in other words, a court was not presented with that "Internet document" purporting to be the "real thing", or it was not used to get a driver's license, or it was not used to get a passport, etc...).
I have to say I don't know if it's a legal problem if a candidate posts a forged birth certificate, but that document (which is forged) contains all the same information.
I would imagine that it would be a definite "political problem" -- but I'm not sure if it's a legal problem.