LF: A sheriff's deputy had his ex-wife arrested because he didn't like what she wrote about him on Facebook

Title: A sheriff's deputy had his ex-wife arrested because he didn't like what she wrote about him on Facebook
Source: CNN
URL Source: https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/09/us/f ... nd-police-jail-trnd/index.html
Published: Mar 9, 2018
Author: AJ Willingham
Post Date: 2018-03-14 06:00:51 by Deckard
Keywords: None
Views: 491
Comments: 8

(CNN)Petty Facebook drama can be uncomfortable and a little tacky but generally speaking, no one's really worried about going to jail over it.

Anne King's Facebook post, as it appears in her civil complaint.

According to a lawsuit filed on behalf of Anne King, her ex-husband told her to take the post down. When she initially refused, he posted a screenshot on his own Facebook account.

The ex-husband then filed an incident report and, according to his own admission, requested an arrest warrant because of her "derogatory statements."

The arrest warrant, as noted in the complaint, said: The "subject did, without a privilege to do so and with intent to defame another, communicate false matter which tends to expose one who is alive to hatred, contempt, or ridicule, and which tends to provoke a breach of peace."

The next day, a Washington County court magistrate issued warrants for both Anne King and Hines.

The women were charged with "criminal defamation of character," processed and spent about four hours in jail before posting $1,000 bail. At their hearing, state-court judge stated there was no basis for the arrest and the case was dropped. "I don't even know why we're here," the judge said, according to the complaint.

Fast foward to the lawsuit Anne King has now filed. Initially, she also named Washington County as a defendant, but since the case has gone to federal court the county has immunity under the 11th Amendment.

Anne King's friend Hines told CNN affiliate WRDW she was initially a plaintiff in the suit, but dropped out of it to minimize friction in her small community.

An outdated law

As if the details of the case weren't dramatic enough, the suit against Corey King alleges he relied on an outdated Georgia law to go through with his ex-wife's arrest. According to a 1982 Georgia Supreme Court decision, charging someone with criminal defamation is actually unconstitutional. "We feel very good about our position because the law upon which [King] was arrested had been declared unconstitutional 30 years ago," attorney Ken Hodges, who is representing Anne King, told CNN.

CNN was unable to reach Corey King or his lawyer for comment. But in a deposition, he said, "I don't feel as though the portrayal of my fatherhood was truthful as what I do for my children and what I have done for my children as long as they have been alive."

The AJC also reports Corey King claimed he and another defendant in the suit were not ultimately responsible for Anne King's arrest, and that responsibility fell to Magistrate Judge Ralph Todd. Todd said in a deposition that "nobody ever notified" him the charge "didn't have any validity."

The case is before a federal judge who will decide whether it will go to trial. Hodges says he hopes the court will "hold those accountable who are going to use their positions of power over those who have no power."

Anne King is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, as well as compensation for all legal fees.

"The ironic thing is, she didn't even post anything derogatory," Hodges said. "She just posted that she was feeling overwhelmed."

If there is a shred of merit to this yella written story, there's the culprit. The judge. Warrants are authorized by a judge. The same people that sentence drug dealers to prison. You should hate them more that the cops.

Absolutely valid and widely overlooked point of contention. Stories like this are a dime a dozen. Cops can ONLY pull this crap IF corrupt Judges conspire WITH them.

Why not investigate the judge in this case? (and many others like the "BAKE THE CAKE! judge). To whom do THEY answer? Apparently no one.

Cops as in this case only abuse their authority IF they know for sure that up the food chain (THE COURTS) their abuse will be covered up and there's some quid pro quo set up.

Judges are NEVER exposed and themselves adjudicated and indicted as THE subversive culprits in corruption and promoting the mockery of justice. When murderers and terrorists go free, aren't THEY responsible?

A short Facebook tiff results in jail time

An outdated law