Posted on 04/17/2020 4:39:18 AM PDT by lionstar
MADISON (WKOW) — A Marquette County teen has filed a federal lawsuit against the Marquette County Sheriff, who she says ordered her to remove an Instagram post about recovering from COVID-19.
The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty filed the lawsuit in federal court Thursday on behalf of Amyiah Cohoon and her parents, Richand and Angela, against Marquette County Sheriff Joseph Konrath and a patrol sergeant for violating the First and Fourteenth Amendment rights.
The lawsuit results from a March incident where Marquette County law enforcement threatened Cohoon and her parents with arrest unless an Instagram post was removed.
According to the lawsuit, Cohoon, a high school student, had a scare in March with COVID-19 and posted about her experience on Instagram. A few days later, a deputy sheriff showed up at her home and demanded that she remove her post or be cited for disorderly conduct, arrested and jailed.
(Excerpt) Read more at wkow.com ...
the lousy part of financial hell to pay it comes from the citizens of the county, the perp cops get off without a scratch
Folks,
this is local justice as our Founding Fathers designed. Why did our founders design for local justice.
History has lead us to a centralized federal government.
Why did that happen? Because it was easier to pass a new law than to correct the local justice.
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.
Lawsuit?? Every Action taken here by Government Employee’s was a FELONY!! It is Called EXTORTION, It is Also Deprivation of Rights, and Numerous Civil Rights Violations, ALL FELONIES!!
WHY AREN’T THE GUILTY PARTIES IN PRISON?? Where is the Attorney General?? US Attorney??
Thanks. I appreciate it.
I totally don’t understand the actions of the police. As I understand the complaint, the teen said “I’m sick” and the school said “No you’re not” and the police said “We will arrest you if you say you are”.
Why? Why? Why?
In the complaint, it says that the school principal saw the instagram posts, went apesh!t, and called the sheriff.
CCG made a good point in his first post. Bad reporting. The job of the reporter is to summarize the story so we don’t have to read the pages of the actual lawsuit.
Just wish she would have consulted with Dad and had Dad say, “Don’t worry. Stick to your guns on this. I have no problem going to jail.”
Otherwise, go get ‘em cowboy
It would be great if the term ‘apesh!t’ was actually part of the complaint.
Hate to be the bearer of bad news but think the government might have a case. It revolves around the use of faulty Covid-19 testing and tests which are the approved tests for this crisis. We now know that one of the reasons these tests were not administered was because of its frequency of false positive/negative results. The approved tests are/were/is unreliable. Even so...she was tested with the approved test and this test showed negative. Therefore, to reduce the incidence of panic and hysteria throughout the community, they required she remove her postings. They are relying upon the only approved indicator available, though faulty.
Since the statement from the school system said “a band trip” to FL, I assume it may have been a sponsored trip, not an individual spring break trip. As such, I’m guessing the school had visions of parents suing the school for putting their children in danger and got the LEOs to apply pressure. I see no other reason for the school to even get involved.
Counsel should have also cited 18USC242 which provides penalties (jail time) for these acts.
But, they are being kind requesting a public apology and enjoining the Sheriff from harrassing them further.
Next up, call the sheriff when the local loonies show up at her house.
Welcome to the “brave new world” of journalism.
Here’s the language in the complaint.
Later that evening, the Cohoons discovered that, earlier in the day, Westfield District Administrator Bob Meicher had sent an update to families in the school district that included a statement about Amyiah’s posts. A true and accurate copy of that update is attached hereto as Exhibit 7.
Administrator Meicher’s update stated that, “It was brought to my attention today that there was a rumor floating out there that one of our students contracted Covid-19 while on the band trip to Florida two weeks ago. Let me assure you there is NO truth to this. This was a foolish means to get attention and the source of the rumor has been addressed.
This rumor had caught the attention of our Public Health Department and she was involved in putting a stop to this nonsense. In times like this, the last thing we need out there is misinformation. I asked her to prepare a short statement for the purpose of this update. I’ve pasted it below.”
It’s a cinch that sheriff is too stupid to wear a badge and tote a gun.
This “reporter” was trying to invoke an emotional response and actually reported nothing. He should fit right in at CNN or MSNBC, where reporting is not required, but editorial license is.
Just wow. This thing has really emboldened the tyrants. On what planet do they think this is appropriate? They seem to believe that the Constitution is put on hold, all rights can be bypassed, due to “but the virus”.
Makes you realize what they’d do if they had REAL power and we had no Constitution. Public schools are filth, that they even had the parents threatened implies they think they, not only, own the children but the parents rights as well.
This kind of crap needs to be directly confronted - “go ahead and arrest us officer” would have been the right response, although of course I can understand not doing it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.