Tag Archives: first amendment

37 Days in Jail For Posting a Meme on Facebook

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In America, we don’t jail people for political speech. Yet Larry Bushart spent 37 days behind bars simply for posting a meme in a Facebook group. Perry County, Tennessee Sheriff Nick Weems sent cops to Larry’s home to intimidate him over a Facebook meme he posted. But he wasn’t intimidated. He knew his rights and didn’t back down. So then the sheriff obtained an arrest warrant that he knew was false and had Larry arrested and then put in jail for over a month. Only after national public outrage did county officials drop the charges and set Larry free. But now Larry’s out for justice and he’s being helped by FIRE, a national nonprofit First Amendment advocacy organization, who has now filed a civil rights lawsuit on his behalf. I got a chance to talk with Larry’s lawyer about the case – what actually happened, why it was so egregious, and how you can help.

DONATE to FIRE: https://www.fire.org/donate

The lawsuit:

BushartComplaintDownload

Ignorant Mayor Orders Arrest, Gets Sued, LOSES in Court

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In Newton, Iowa in 2022, disgraced police officer Nathan Winters falsely arrested Tayvin Galanakis, a completely sober college football player for DUI. A local kid, Noah Peterson, was outraged and calmly criticized the Newton Police Department, as well as the Newton Mayor, during a city council meeting. The ignorant and corrupt mayor ordered his arrest, in violation of the First Amendment. The Institute for Justice took on his case, filed a lawsuit, and just scored a huge win for free speech. I got the chance to speak with Patrick Jaicomo, Senior Attorney with the Institute for Justice about Noah’s case.

Arrested for “Improperly Crossing the Road” (while recording cops)

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Gerald Shields saw an unusually large number of cop cars at a traffic stop. He began filming them from across the public street. No yelling, no interference, no threats. Just recording what police officers were doing – in public, from a safe distance. But minutes later, Gerald was face-down on the ground, injured, and under arrest. The alleged crime? Improperly crossing the street. But as it turns out, that wasn’t actually a crime. The officers were just harassing Gerald because he was filming them. They didn’t even deny it… 

Chief Deputy Grabs Woman on a Public Sidewalk, Forces Her to Stop Recording

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On August 5, 2025 in Huntington, West Virginia, Chief Deputy Chuck Zerkle of the Cabell County (West Virginia) Sheriff’s Office grabbed a woman filming the arrest of a homeless man from a public sidewalk near the courthouse. He forced the woman, a social worker, to stop filming what she perceived to be police officers engaged in a gratuitous use of force outside of view of surveillance cameras (while not wearing body cams). Fortunately, another woman was also recording…

The lawsuit:

Dist.S.D.W.Va._3-25-cv-00490_1Download

Officer Magnifico, Who Lost His Temper, Slammed Kid at Sheetz, Has RESIGNED (but not really)

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Officer Rob Magnifico, formerly the chief of the Ellwood City (PA) Police Department, was demoted in June after he slammed a kid on the ground at a Sheetz gas station for using the “F” word while demanding his cell phone be returned, which he had previously accidentally left at the gas station. Apparently Magnifico recently resigned – but unfortunately, not from Ellwood City. Instead, he is challenging his prior discipline, and may actually be making more money, while exercising essentially the same authority as before his demotion.

Cop Arrests Mom of 3 Filming His Illegal Traffic Stop | She Wins in Court

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On July 31, 2024, Kentucky State Police Trooper Myron Jackson took exception to Christen Johnson, a dental assistant and mom of 3 young children, silently filming his illegal traffic stop from her front porch. Trooper Jackson stormed up to Christen and threatened her, “Go inside of the house or I will take you from your kids and take you to jail.”

When Christen remained filming on her porch, Trooper Jackson grabbed her, forcefully pulled her from her porch, and dragged her across the ground. Christen’s two, seven, and ten-year-old children screamed and cried, watching helplessly as their mother was violently hand- cuffed and dragged away to jail. When she got out of jail the next day, she was forced to walk several miles home, and when she got there, she found her children gone.

The lawsuit:

Johnson suit filed copyDownload

Man Fights for his Right to Call Cops “D**kheads” for Blocking the Drive-Thru

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Josh Smith just wanted to get some fast food from “Humdingers” in Montrose, Colorado, but three police cars were blocking the drive-thru. The cops had just found a sex toy in the car they were searching in the parking lot, and they were goofing off with it. But Josh was hungry. He told them to “move their shit out of the way, dickheads.” He was eventually pulled over about a mile away and ticketed for “an obscene gesture.”

Media Report No. 1

Media Report No. 2

My Client Gave Cops The Middle Finger

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My client was driving in Martinsburg, West Virginia. He saw a police car belonging to the Martinsburg Police Department. Desiring to express some protected First Amendment speech, he flipped them the bird – the middle finger. They immediately pulled him over. A federal civil rights lawsuit is currently pending.

LEAKED: Police Chief’s Anti-First Amendment Message to his Officers

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Surprise Police Chief Piña recorded an internal message video for his police officers about a week after the arrest. In it, he defiantly and irrationally claims that there was no First Amendment violation. He also has another officer, who gained valuable experience in First Amendment (and other) violations, while working at the Phoenix Police Department, give the officers advice on how to respond to encounters with so-called First Amendment Auditors.

Here’s the first video I did on this.

Ignorant Cops Harass Veteran Over Cardboard Sign | Enforce Law Held Unconstitutional in 2019!

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Cops in Little Rock, Arkansas harass a veteran holding a cardboard sign that reads, “God Bless Our Homeless Vets.” The veteran happens to be Jeff Gray, a YouTuber and legendary First Amendment activist. Like moths to the flame….

Here’s the 8th Circuit case discussed in the video.

Rodgers v. Bryant, 942 F.3d 451 (8th Cir. 2019)

Here is Jeff Gray’s Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@HONORYOUROATH/