10 Comments
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Mitch McFarland's avatar

Waiting to hear more

Elise Cox's avatar

Thank you for supporting MendoLocal.News. We will be reporting on this story as it unfolds. This story is limited to what is in the court documents. We'll be expanding the reporting.

Shaye Larie's avatar

What did he actually write? That detail seems essential to evaluating the charge.

Frank David Hartzell's avatar

This is an amazing story and a good job tracking it down. Its hard not to say government terrorism against free speech through the courts. This could easily bankrupt even a person of means. I wish you had given some hints to what he wrote. Its needed.

Elise Cox's avatar

Frank, we wrote this story exclusively based on court records — and we moved it to the top of our queue after the feds arrested a man in Willits yesterday morning. The sheriff made the comment to us that the last time the feds arrested someone in Mendocino County it was for ongoing abuse of a minor. We didn't print that because we didn't want to suggest that the Willits man was accused of that crime — and indeed, he was arrested on paperwork related to immigration, which we subsequently reported. We wanted people do have additional context on federal arrests in our county. The fact that a retiree was arrested for a comment made privately to his friends is a departure from the norm.

Frank David Hartzell's avatar

How do we know these are the only arrests?

Elise Cox's avatar

by the feds? we don't.

Josh Art's avatar

I must be missing something this doesn't make sense. Like if things were opposite then they should be. Didn't describe defend his LGBQT friends? And the representative threaten them? You know Trump was supposed to give us out of these wars have a domestic first policy and double down on free speech, at least in these respects he's been a liar.

Josh Art's avatar

I wonder if I'll go arrested for my comments. This sounds like some are well in English You can go to jail for free speech bullshit

Elise Cox's avatar

Right now, people believe that typical school yard banter -- along the lines of "I'll kick your butt," "No, I'll kick your butt!" is ok to engage in — no matter what age. But making personal threats has never fallen under the protection of the First Amendment. That said, there is more to this story, and we will continue covering it.