Exodus
By the way, sorry for getting off to a slow start this morning, kids. I awoke feeling like death warmed over, but am springing back. Starting to feel better.
So, yeah…that 31-year-old Kentucky gentleman busted last September for posting Exodus lyrics on his Facebook page has filed a lawsuit against his arrestors.
James Evans posted lyrics to the Exodus song “Class Dismissed [A Hate Primer]” and was arrested, because people thought he was announcing some evil intentions.
“The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of James Evans, the Muhlenberg County man previously arrested and charged with making threats online for posting song lyrics from the heavy metal band Exodus,” says a statement.
The statement adds that, through an investigation, “law enforcement officials learned the post consisted of song lyrics and that Evans had, in the past, posted lyrics from other songs online. And they questioned Evans who fully cooperated with their investigation.
“Nevertheless, a Muhlenberg County Police officer sought and obtained a warrant for Evans’ arrest. But the affidavit submitted for the warrant mentioned nothing about the investigation or the facts that were uncovered. The ACLU represented Evans in the criminal case which was ultimately dismissed, but not before Evans spent several days in custody for simply posting the lyrics online.”
ACLU of Kentucky’s Cooperating Attorney Brenda Popplewell stated:
“This case is not only about Mr. Evans’ right to engage in non-threatening speech online, but also his right to be free from unlawful police tactics in securing his arrest and prosecution for a crime he did not commit. We look forward to representing Mr. Evans in this case, and we hope that by doing so we will not only vindicate his rights but help ensure that others’ rights are protected in the future.”
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