Back in December one of the most obvious tax-dollars-will-be re-allocated-because-the police-did-a-stupid was filed in Tennessee. Larry Bushart filed a civil rights suit after Tennessee police took him from his home and jailed him for over a month for posting a meme after Charlie Kirk’s death. Bushart, a former sheriff, was well within his rights to share his opinion. And while there’s a long standing understanding that cops aren’t required to know the law to do their jobs, you’d think the arresting officers would have skimmed the Constitution long enough to read the First Amendment. Alas. The open and shut case recently settled and Bushart is hundreds of thousands of dollars richer for it.
Dexerto has coverage:
A Tennessee man who spent 37 days in jail over a Facebook post about Charlie Kirk has won an $835,000 settlement after filing a First Amendment lawsuit.
Larry Bushart, a 61-year-old retired police officer, was arrested in September after sharing memes on Facebook about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Tennessee officials have now agreed to pay $835,000 to settle the lawsuit filed by Bushart against Perry County, its sheriff, and the investigator who obtained the arrest warrant.
…
“I am pleased my First Amendment rights have been vindicated,” Bushart said in a statement announcing the settlement. “The people’s freedom to participate in civil discourse is crucial to a healthy democracy. I am looking forward to moving on and spending time with my family.”
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Seeing this happen in real time is like seeing someone else live your get-hit-by-a-bus-and-win-free-tuition dream. Not to belittle what he went through — no one wants to spend over a month in jail over what they knew were bullshit charges. That said, many Americans would jump at the opportunity to make ~$22,500 a day for a snarky tweet or two.
Grifters aren’t the only ones making bank off Kirk’s legacy! Great day for free speech.
Tennessee Man Jailed For Charlie Kirk Meme Wins $835,000 Settlement [Dexerto]
Earlier: Man Files Civil Rights Lawsuit After Being Arrested Over A Meme
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Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s . He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boat builder who is learning to swim and is interested in rhetoric, Spinozists and humor. Getting back in to cycling wouldn’t hurt either. You can reach him by email at [email protected] and by Tweet/Bluesky at @WritesForRent.