On Wednesday, an Arizona judge dismissed the criminal case brought against a state resident who was arrested after criticizing her city government during a public meeting.
“The Defendant should not have faced criminal prosecution once for expressing her political views,” Justice of the Peace Gerald Williams wrote.
The entire saga began on Aug. 20, when resident Rebekah Massie spoke before the Surprise City Council during a public meeting. The Arizona mother was criticizing the conduct of the city attorney when she was abruptly cut off by Mayor Skip Hall, who accused her of “attacking” the city official “personally” and violating rules governing public meetings.
Massie claimed the rule was “unconstitutional” and that by limiting her testimony, the city was violating her First Amendment right to free speech. Following a short exchange of words, Hall called on a law enforcement official to have Massie removed from the meeting.
The Arizona mom was subsequently detained and charged with trespassing.
Writing on behalf of the Maricopa County Justice Courts, Williams dismissed the charge against Massie with prejudice, meaning the state cannot bring the case back to his court. The judge noted that “[n]o branch of any federal, state, or local government in this country should ever attempt to control the content of political speech,” and that, in Massie’s case, “the government did so in a manner that was objectively outrageous.”
“The Court agrees that she should never face criminal prosecution, for expressing her political views on that date at that time, again,” Williams wrote.
