Charge on Surprise activist who criticized city in council meeting laughed out of court
(The Center Square) – A Maricopa County Justice Court tossed the criminal trespassing charge from the city of Surprise after resident Rebekah Massie was thrown out of a city council meeting for allegedly violating it’s now repealed public comment policy in August.
Mayor Skip Hall had Massie removed after she criticized the decision to increase the city attorney Robert Wingo’s salary, as the two got into a debate about the constitutionality of the commenting policy and a police officer removed her.
“No branch of any federal, state, or local government in this country should ever attempt to control the content of political speech,” North Valley Justice of the Peace Gerald Williams wrote in his decision dismissing the charge.
“In this case, the government did so in a manner that was objectively outrageous,” he continued.
Massie and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression are suing the city in federal court over the viral incident, The Center Square reported. The city got rid of the legally scrutinized policy in September, which FIRE said came “too late” and the lawsuit still stands.
“You are violating my First Amendment rights,” Massie said during the meeting.
“That’s your opinion,” Hall said.
“It’s not a matter of opinion,” she responded.
Hall is leaving office in January and Kevin Sartor will be his successor. Sartor slammed the Hall’s actions shortly after it occured.
“For more than two months I’ve been living with the threat of punishment and jail time — being taken away from my kids, even — for doing nothing more than criticizing the government,” Massie said in a news release on Thursday. “Free speech still matters in America, and I can’t tell you what a relief it is to have people on my side standing up for our rights with me.”
