Care about free speech? Then get angry about publisher Jim Larkin's death

Many of us grew up reading a free weekly newspaper with awesome artistic covers, random funny chisme, a bunch of ads and great journalism hidden in its pages.

That is the Phoenix New Times, founded in 1970 in the spirit of youthful rebellion and anger over the Vietnam War.

The paper’s success was due to the efforts of Jim Larkin and Michael Lacey. Larkin was the publisher and CEO, the business brain. Lacey was the paper’s executive editor, its creative and journalistic genius.

Together, they took on Phoenix’s power brokers and championed the downtrodden, putting the people over the politicians.

We lost Jim Larkin too early

Fierce First Amendment warriors, they led the New Times for more than four decades, expanding their newspaper empire across the country, with weeklies from New York City to the City of Angels.

We recently lost Larkin, one part of the dynamic duo.

There are a bunch of obituaries out there already. This isn’t another one.

I’m writing these words of appreciation with anger and frustration.

You can get your drama-filled arguments about Backpage — the classified advertising website Larkin and Lacey oversaw, and for which they faced federal prostitution charges — by simply Googling.

I’m not going into details of that either.

I’m also not an expert on suicide or want to have a conversation about that.

If you’re reading this and need support or are thinking about it, talk to someone as soon as possible. A statewide mental health crisis line is available at 844-534-HOPE.

His trial was a giant overreach

But there has been tremendous government overreach in the Backpage case.

Prosecutors recently tried to forbid any mention or discussion of free speech or the First Amendment. They also wanted to keep any mention of Larkin and Lacey’s careers as journalists out of the courtroom.

The government didn’t get everything it wanted, but the fact they asked and have tried to deny a fair trial to Lacey and Larkin speaks volumes.

This federal prosecution is now in its sixth year.

It initially went to trial in 2021 and lasted three days. The judge called a mistrial because prosecutors were smearing Lacey and Larkin instead of talking about the actual charges.

Does anyone know how much money — our tax dollars — is being spent on this joke of a prosecution?

Backpage trial has dire consequences

Before the federal government got involved, our now-Vice President Kamala Harris filed state charges on Lacey and Larkin when she was still Cali’s attorney general.

She wanted to score cheap political points while she was running for U.S. Senate.

The case was thrown out twice, with few charges surviving. Meanwhile, Harris was elected to the Senate.

All of this government misconduct has had dire consequences.

2 years ago: What to know about upcoming Backpage trial

I can’t say for certain that this political persecution led to Larkin taking his life, but I can say that it took what Larkin loved and what we loved about him from us.

And it has chilled and scared journalists in this country and beyond.

Keep fighting for freedom of speech

This is a guy who took Sheriff Joe Arpaio head on. This is a guy who gave wealth to his employees. This is a guy who allowed the free market to be free.

When Arpaio had them falsely arrested in 2007, Lacey and Larkin sued and got a $3.75 million settlement from the county.

Then they gave it away to immigrant-rights groups, to the people Arpaio targeted with his racist raids.

When Senate Bill 1070 happened, their paper fought it tooth and nail.

Lacey and Larkin helped underwrite the American Civil Liberties Union’s challenge of the law in court and encouraged others to donate, too.

We often appreciate things when we lose them, so let’s appreciate Larkin now.

But make sure we keep fighting, like Larkin, so we don’t sit around later, lamenting the loss of our freedom of speech.

Carlos Garcia is former Phoenix City Council member and community organizer. On X, formerly Twitter: @carlosforphx.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Publisher Jim Larkin was persecuted. His death is a loss for us all