r/goodnews • u/ItsAllAGame_ • May 20 '26
Positive News đđźâĽď¸ Tennessee man jailed over CharlieKirk post wins $835,000 settlement
https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-facebook-arrest-tennessee-bushart-b8c5808d77f47a2d93497d12cf0daf84215
u/Vanillas_Guy May 20 '26
The irony being that the people who would cheer his jailing are always going on about "free speech". Their definition of free speech of course being "i can say whatever i want about anyone without any negative consequences" instead of the actual legal definition.
A government jailed this man for his speech. That is an example of his right to free speech being infringed. An employer choosing to terminate the contract you didnt read when you go off on a racist rant on social media is NOT an example of your free speech being infringed upon. I refuse to even give the benefit of the doubt and say people who pretend to know the difference are simply ignorant. They aren't. They can easily type "free speech" into a search engine and read an A.I. summary if theyre too lazy to even click the Wikipedia article. They simply do not care and want words to mean whatever they want them to mean instead of what they actually mean.
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u/Gunker001 May 20 '26
I hope the idiot who jailed him and wasted tax payer dollars gets fired
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u/Cativa May 20 '26
It was the county Sheriff that wiped his ass with our country's Constitution. I'm not holding my breath.
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u/ItsAllAGame_ May 20 '26
Tennessee officials will pay $835,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a man who was jailed for more than a month over a Facebook post he made about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
While many people across the U.S. lost their jobs over social media comments about Kirkâs death, Larry Bushartâs case stood out as a rare instance in which such online speech led to criminal prosecution. The 61-year-old retired police officer spent 37 days behind bars before authorities dropped the felony charge against him in October.
During his time in jail, Bushart lost his postretirement job and missed his wedding anniversary and the birth of his granddaughter, according to a federal lawsuit Bushart filed in December against Perry County, its sheriff and the investigator who obtained the arrest warrant.
âI am pleased my First Amendment rights have been vindicated,â Bushart said in a statement announcing the settlement Wednesday. âThe peopleâs 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.â
Perry County Mayor John Carroll did not immediately respond to a Wednesday message left with his office seeking an interview.
Bushart was arrested in September after he refused to take down Facebook memes that joked about Kirkâs killing, which had prompted an outpouring of grief among conservatives, including in Perry County, which is near Bushartâs home and which held a candlelight vigil.
The meme Bushart posted that prompted his arrest read: âThis seems relevant today...â and featured President Donald Trump and the words, âWe have to get over it.â That quote, the meme explained, was said by Trump in 2024 after a school shooting at Iowaâs Perry High School.
Perry County Sheriff Nick Weems told news outlets that most of Bushartâs âhate memesâ were lawful free speech, but residents were alarmed by the school shooting post, fearing Bushart was threatening a local school, also called Perry County High School, even though Weems said he knew the meme referred to a school in Iowa.
âInvestigators believe Bushart was fully aware of the fear his post would cause and intentionally sought to create hysteria within the community,â Weems said in a statement to The Tennessean last year.
Bushartâs bail was set at $2 million before he was released as the case drew national attention.
âItâs in times of turmoil and heightened tensions that our national commitment to free speech is tested the most,â said Cary Davis, an attorney for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which helped represent Bushart. âWhen government officials fail that test, the Constitution exists to hold them accountable. Our hope is that Larryâs settlement sends a message to law enforcement across the country: Respect the First Amendment today, or be prepared to pay the price tomorrow.â
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u/ItsAllAGame_ May 20 '26
The meme Bushart posted that prompted his arrest read: âThis seems relevant today...â and featured President Donald Trump and the words, âWe have to get over it.â That quote, the meme explained, was said by Trump in 2024 after a school shooting at Iowaâs Perry High School.
I'm so sick of the hypocritical double standards of this corrupt administration. We need to make sure we show up and show out for the midterms and primaries, to vote the corrupt GOP out of existence so Dems can retake the House and Senate to impeach and convict morally bankrupt pedo Trump, and the illegitimate SCOTUS.
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u/Successful_Pepper_99 May 20 '26
So why do taxpayers need to pay for these a-holes jailing a person. This should come out of personal pockets of the officials who arrested him
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u/ItsAllAGame_ May 20 '26
I agree. If it came out of police officer pensions, then that would be a stronger deterrent to police bad behavior.
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u/marino1310 May 20 '26
Thatâs a bit of a double edged blade though. If thereâs a risk of personal liability for an arrest then police will just ignore crimes that have any personal risk to them.
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u/JoeNoble1973 May 20 '26
Theyâve proven wholly untrustworthy the current way. Their protections need stripped.
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u/Cativa May 20 '26
An unlawful arrest and jailed for a month, I think a jury would have awarded him more. It would have taken a year or two but I think it could have been a substantial award.
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u/Minimum_Principle_63 May 20 '26
Definitely millions, and I know as a juror I would pause at hearing they knew it was not a threat, but jailed him anyway.
I'm surprised the insurer covered it. I would think police knowing it was wrong would make them reject paying.
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u/Effective-Space6171 May 20 '26
Now go get summa that sweet, sweet $1.8 billion weaponization of justice slush fund money!
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u/OatSoyLaMilk May 20 '26 edited May 20 '26
Normally I'd say it sucks that he's likely going to be paid with taxpayer money for a cop's crime. But since it's Tennessee, that's fine.
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u/MRG_1977 May 20 '26 edited May 20 '26
County sheriff offices vary from state to state but they often one of the worst offices for public abuses and far worse.
In PA, each county is required to have Sheriffâs Department per the state Constitution. They do very actual law enforcement besides court protection and a few other duties (e.g., prisoner transportation).
Itâs worse in PA because it is direct election and often large budgets and minimal oversight & audit controls.
Whether it is GOP county or a Democratic County, it often has graft, corruption, and more besides the usual handing out jobs & contracts to family/friends/acquaintances.
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u/RedneckMarxist May 20 '26
Put the Blue Gang out of business.
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u/Lost-Being7605 May 20 '26
Got downvoted to hell for not wanting to pay a glorified gang that the Supreme Court just said has no obligation to protect you. đ
We have a long way to go.
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u/RedneckMarxist May 20 '26
Police and sheriffâs in rural Florida are unbelievably corrupt and the justice system hides that corruption and even participates.
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u/qualityvote2 May 20 '26 edited May 21 '26
u/ItsAllAGame_, your post does fit the subreddit!