This is terrible reporting. First, I cannot imagine that there is any justification for threatening the teen with arrest. That being said, the sheriff must have some silly reason in his head for making the threat. But the story doesn’t seem to make any effort for showing the cop’s thinking. That’s just bad reporting. I’m not hinting that there might be a “good reason”. But I’d like to know the cop’s “stupid reason”. Because this thing reads as totally random.
Read the lawsuit. I suspect Disney World and Universal Orlando may have something to do with this.
Did you read the entire lawsuit that was filed?
https://www.will-law.org/will-sues-marquette-county-sheriff-for-free-speech-violation/
WILL Sues Marquette County Sheriff for Free Speech Violation
By WILL
Posted April 16, 2020 In Press Releases, WILL News
Sheriff, Patrol Sergeant threatened teen with arrest over social media post
The News: The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) filed a lawsuit in federal court Thursday against Marquette County Sheriff Joseph Konrath and a Patrol Sergeant for violating the First and Fourteenth Amendment rights of an Oxford, Wisconsin teen. The lawsuit results from a March incident where Marquette County law enforcement threatened the teen and her parents with arrest unless an Instagram post was removed.
The Quote: Deputy Counsel Luke Berg said, “There are no circumstances that would allow law enforcement to police social media in this way. At a moment when civil liberties need to be guarded most, the Marquette County Sheriff must be held accountable.”
Background: Rick and Angela Cohoon’s teen daughter Amyiah developed a severe respiratory illness in March after a spring break trip to Florida. After one visit to a local hospital, her symptoms worsened and she ended up at a hospital in Madison. Amyiah tested negative for COVID-19 in Madison, but doctors told her that she likely had the virus but had missed the testing window. Amyiah posted updates to Instagram about this experience, including a post after she returned from the hospital that she had “beaten the coronavirus.”
Then, on March 27, a Marquette County Patrol Sergeant was dispatched to the Cohoon’s home to demand the Instagram posts be removed or face arrest for disorderly conduct. The Instagram posts were removed after the threat from law enforcement.
WILL issued a demand letter to Marquette County Sheriff Joseph Konrath on April 3, requesting an apology and acknowledgement that the Cohoons have a First Amendment right to freely express themselves on social media. Sheriff Konrath has not met either demand.
WILL’s lawsuit was filed in the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
Welcome to the “brave new world” of journalism.
The cops reason is that he’s an authoritarian, and he didn’t like what she said. He thought it would be destructive to the community. And he’s never heard of free speech. Simple as that
Gee, I read it three times, decided I must be drunk and then read your post. I’m gonna go get another beer, you made feel good again.
The school district superintendent asked his buddy the sheriff to lean on the girl to suppress information about the virus being spread at school. Didn’t matter that the virus WAS being spread at the school all that mattered was to keep that delicious Average Daily Attendance money flowing!