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Texas grandmother thrown in jail after criticizing local government. Now her case heads to Supreme Court'They wanted to punish me': Ex-city councilwoman hopes SCOTUS case will protect free speech rights
foxnews.com ^ | March 17, 2024 | Hannah Ray Lambert

Posted on 03/19/2024 7:14:48 AM PDT by V_TWIN

A small-town political feud that wound up with a Texas city council member behind bars is headed to the Supreme Court this week, where justices will consider whether the councilwoman can sue city leaders for politically motivated retaliation. "I would never believe that I would be going to the Supreme Court," Sylvia Gonzalez told Fox News. "I would never believe that I was in jail either."

"In America, we don't arrest our critics," IJ attorney Anya Bidwell said.

Gonzalez's story began in 2019 when the then-72-year-old retiree won a seat on the Castle Hills City Council. She said constituents had complained extensively that the city manager, Ryan Rapelye, was unresponsive, particularly to their concerns over the condition of their streets.

As soon as she was elected, Gonzalez championed a nonbinding petition calling for the city manager to be replaced with a previous manager who residents felt had done a better job. Another resident introduced the petition at Gonzalez's first city council meeting. Discussion of the manager's job performance "grew contentious," according to court records, and the meeting was extended through the following day.

At the end of the meeting, Gonzalez said she straightened up the papers strewn across her dais and put them in her binder before going to talk to a constituent.

Gonzalez went back to the dais and Trevino asked where the petition was. Gonzalez said she didn't know. Trevino allegedly asked her to look in her binder, saying he could see a clip inside.

Trevino and Police Chief John Siemens used the briefly displaced petition to launch a criminal investigation into Gonzalez, her lawsuit alleges.

The special detective produced an arrest affidavit alleging that Gonzalez had "been openly antagonistic" toward the city manager from her first meeting, "wanting desperately to get him fired."

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Front Page News; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: criticism; dissent; freespeech; marxisttyranny; orwellian; policestate; scotus; supremecourt; sylviagonzalez; texas
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To: yefragetuwrabrumuy

“City of New London’s taking of private, non-blighted property “

And to this date it was never developed


21 posted on 03/19/2024 7:45:15 AM PDT by George from New England (escaped CT back in 2006)
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To: whitney69

Dude ...

It was a chickenshit arrest and everybody knows it. Why are you trying to make excuses for it?


22 posted on 03/19/2024 7:46:39 AM PDT by NorthMountain (... the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed)
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To: nwrep

How many hundreds of pearl clutching posts have you made?

How many more will you make between now and November?

You are entitled to your opinions—but it would be very helpful if you provided new data to support them—rather than just repeating the same gloom and doom for post after post after post.


23 posted on 03/19/2024 7:47:46 AM PDT by cgbg ("Our democracy" = Their Kleptocracy)
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To: BenLurkin

“That changed in 2021.”

I would claim 2008... It was just not as widespread and popular yet.


24 posted on 03/19/2024 7:49:23 AM PDT by Openurmind (The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world it leaves to its children. ~ D. Bonhoeffer)
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To: cgbg

Will do.


25 posted on 03/19/2024 7:55:53 AM PDT by nwrep
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To: V_TWIN
The special detective produced an arrest affidavit alleging that Gonzalez had "been openly antagonistic" toward the city manager from her first meeting, "wanting desperately to get him fired."

That's not a crime.

Democrats and leftists jail you for exposing them and their corruption, not because someone actually committed a real crime.

What they are engaged in is retaliation, not justice.

26 posted on 03/19/2024 8:02:23 AM PDT by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus…)
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To: V_TWIN

“”Trevino asked where the petition was.””

Who was Trevino - what did I miss? I hate writing with names dropped in without introducing who it is they’re talking about. I have to admit I get lost in the weeds before I can get to the rest of the story.


27 posted on 03/19/2024 8:05:41 AM PDT by Thank You Rush
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To: NorthMountain

“In America, we don’t arrest our critics,” IJ attorney Anya Bidwell said.

True. If you are a Clinton, you just ice them.


28 posted on 03/19/2024 8:15:02 AM PDT by tired&retired (Blessings )
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To: tired&retired

Are you trying to suggest that Vince Foster didn’t shoot himself in the back of the head ... thrice ... and then fly his magic carpet to Fort Marcy Park?

Really?

That’s crazy talk ...

:’}


29 posted on 03/19/2024 8:17:17 AM PDT by NorthMountain (... the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed)
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To: V_TWIN
"In America, we don't arrest our critics,"

This is no longer America.

30 posted on 03/19/2024 8:43:38 AM PDT by Sequoyah101 (Procrastination is just a form of defiance)
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To: V_TWIN

My firm represented the City of Castle Hills back in the day. It was always a challenge - everybody in leadership had “big-fish-little-pond” syndrome. Sounds like nothing’s changed.


31 posted on 03/19/2024 8:44:36 AM PDT by jagusafr ( )
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To: V_TWIN

The DemocRATS’ new First Amendment. “Say anything you like, just don’t say anything you don’t like”. Now drink your Vodka and shut up.


32 posted on 03/19/2024 8:45:14 AM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (Could a "caravan" of freeloading U.S. citizens be able to make it into Mexico before they are shot?)
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To: V_TWIN
May Sylvia Gonzalez "FRY THEIR EYES!"


33 posted on 03/19/2024 8:51:26 AM PDT by VideoDoctor
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To: freefdny

Themselves, maybe, but certainly not themself.


34 posted on 03/19/2024 8:56:10 AM PDT by ThanhPhero
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To: lgjhn23

“Bidenland is ruled by King pedoPig, The First.”

Bidenland is ruled by Obama — America’s first Muslim and foreign born president, and first three-term president since FDR.


35 posted on 03/19/2024 8:57:03 AM PDT by Labyrinthos
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To: V_TWIN

Are we just supposed to know who these people are? Perhaps the article started in the middle?


36 posted on 03/19/2024 8:59:39 AM PDT by lastchance (Cognovit Dominus qui sunt eius.)
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To: V_TWIN; All
Thank you for referencing that article V_TWIN.

"Texas grandmother thrown in jail after criticizing local government. Now her case heads to Supreme Court 'They wanted to punish me': Ex-city councilwoman hopes SCOTUS case will protect free speech rights"


I don't know how this case is going to turn out. But just as a reminder for activist Supreme Court justices, the 14th Amendment (14A)-supported federal law below is a penalty for government actors who abuse government power by using it to abridge the constitutionally enumerated protections of their political enemies to silence them.

Kudos to freeper MarkTwain for noting this law.

37 posted on 03/19/2024 9:18:29 AM PDT by Amendment10
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To: Thank You Rush; lastchance

Apologies if it reads as a little disjointed.

I suspect its a combination of the way the article was written and the forum restriction of 350 characters or less.


38 posted on 03/19/2024 9:28:02 AM PDT by V_TWIN (America...so great even the people that hate it refuse to leave!)
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To: V_TWIN

Thanks for that...no problem. A bad habit of mine to get caught up in the minutiae of things..but I tell myself I’m too old to change. I should really change my FR screen name to MINUTIAE...


39 posted on 03/19/2024 9:53:05 AM PDT by Thank You Rush
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To: V_TWIN

Where is the meme from The Ramones band member Kill a Commie for Mommy T Shirt


40 posted on 03/19/2024 10:07:11 AM PDT by Hyman Roth
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