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Court rules name too obscene

Celebrity kids aren't the only ones with weird names anymore. 

In 2004, Albuquerque man Snaphappy Fishsuit Mokiligon decided to legally change his name to something a little less of a mouthful: Variable.

A little less of a mouthful, yes.  A little more sense, no.  Still, the New Mexico legal system accepted the change.

Then last Friday, Variable decided to change his name again, this time to "F**k Censorship!"  But the court would not let this happen and refused his request on the grounds that the proposed name was "obscene, offensive and would not comport with common decency."

Variable, now a resident of Los Alamos, appealed the decision on the point that it was improper government censorship to deny him the name change.

"We do not believe that the district court's action infringes on petitioner's right to free speech," a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals said in its ruling.

According to the panel, the man has the right to call himself whatever he wants, unless it involves fraud or misrepresentation.  But once he seeks court approval for a legal name change, the court has the authority to turn him down on several grounds, including if the name is offensive to common decency and good taste.

This law was clarified in a 2004 case, concerning a certain Snaphappy Fishsuit Mokiligon who wanted to legally change his name to Variable.


Published Jun 30 2008, 02:21 PM by Briana Kerensky |  Email |  Print



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