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Why Tornado Cash Co-Founder Roman Storm’s Free Speech Defense Was Rejected in Court

Author: Content Editor
A U.S. district judge has ruled against developer Roman Storm's motion to dismiss his case in the high-profile Tornado Cash money-laundering trial. Storm argued that the charges against him infringed on his First Amendment rights, claiming that computer code, such as a coin-mixing service, is protected speech. However, Judge Katherine Polk Failla ruled that Storm's case could proceed to trial, stating that the charges did not implicate free speech protections. The judge noted that while code can be used to express thoughts or ideas, its functional capacity is not protected under the First Amendment. The ruling has been seen as a blow to the argument that code is protected speech.

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