Judge rules SWAT raid over parody Twitter account of mayor completely justified.

[diddle]

"The police hadn’t even come for him. When four fully-armed officers of a Swat team burst into Jacob Elliott’s house in Peoria, Illinois in April they were looking for the source of a parody Twitter feed that had upset the town’s mayor by poking fun at him.

It transpired that one of Elliott’s housemates, Jon Daniel, had created the fake Twitter account, @peoriamayor, and so incensed the real-life official, Jim Ardis, with his make-believe account of drug binges and sex orgies that the police were dispatched . Elliott was just a bystander in the affair, but that didn’t stop the Swat team searching his bedroom, looking under his pillow and in a closet where they discovered a bag of marijuana and dope-smoking paraphernalia.

Elliott now faces charges of felony marijuana possession. He has also become the subject of one of the more paradoxical – if not parody – questions in American jurisprudence: can a citizen be prosecuted for dope possession when the police were raiding his home looking for a fake Twitter account?"

http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...ampaign=buffer

Everyday I ask myself, how hard would it be to become a Canadian citizen? I'd prefer a crack smoking Mayor Quimby any day of the week over all this shit.

[Mormolyce]

Another victory in the War on Drugs!

[prwraith]

Apparently nobody taught this judge the spirit of the law.

Nor did anyone stop to think, that a mayor being upset is not grounds for a search warrant.

[Independent voter]

All I can find on the incident is questionable news sources and the Guardian. No American papers. Seems like some newspaper in Peoria would've covered it. Maybe it's not a big issue?

[DEATHETERNAL]

I wonder, how many people are mad that a house got raided over something like that, and how many people are mad that a druggy got busted? The raid wasn't justified, but there is no reason not to charge the criminal that was discovered in the process since no claim that the raid was carried out under false pretenses specifically to catch him can be credible.

[Wells]

I wonder, how many people are mad that a house got raided over something like that, and how many people are mad that a druggy got busted? The raid wasn't justified, but there is no reason not to charge the criminal that was discovered in the process since no claim that the raid was carried out under false pretenses specifically to catch him can be credible.

If a search isn't justifiable its unacceptable to try people based on its results.

[Crissi]

I wonder, how many people are mad that a house got raided over something like that, and how many people are mad that a druggy got busted? The raid wasn't justified, but there is no reason not to charge the criminal that was discovered in the process since no claim that the raid was carried out under false pretenses specifically to catch him can be credible.

Except an upset Mayor does not justify a search warrant, and thus anything found durnig said search warrant would be null and void. Unless the parody account was somehow commiting a crime. Is impersonalting a political figure throgh satire even criminal?

[Deleted]

SWAT can raid my house any day if I get refunded whatever they brake in the process of doing so. SWAT isn't really at fault here or at least not the guys who raided the house, if you want to blame anyone blame the person giving the order instead of hating on some guys doing their job.

[DEATHETERNAL]

If a search isn't justifiable its unacceptable to try people based on its results.

Would you sing the same tune if they had found evidence of a more serious crime?

Except an upset Mayor does not justify a search warrant, and thus anything found durnig said search warrant would be null and void. Unless the parody account was somehow commiting a crime. Is impersonalting a political figure throgh satire even criminal?

Its a federal felony to sign up for stuff online intending to impersonate someone else, but I don't know whether this falls under that or not.

[Blueobelisk]

SWAT team over fake twitter seems excessive, but impersonating someone IS a crime.

[fluffhead]

Gotta watch out for all those fake twitter accounts hiding in closets and under pillows.

[Wells]

Would you sing the same tune if they had found evidence of a more serious crime?

Yes. Because no matter how bad one person's crimes may be proper due process is crucial to all our safety.

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SWAT team over fake twitter seems excessive, but impersonating someone IS a crime.

You'd have to show some kind of personal gain being made through deceit to go from satire to impersonating.

[DEATHETERNAL]

Yes. Because no matter how bad one person's crimes may be proper due process is crucial to all our safety.

So had they found evidence that he murdered some kid that died mysteriously a few years ago, you would still want them to just ignore that?

[Wildtree]

I remember vividly how people were calling for raiding he Lizards a few weeks ago, and getting mad how nothing was happening....

[lokithor]

All I can find on the incident is questionable news sources and the Guardian. No American papers. Seems like some newspaper in Peoria would've covered it. Maybe it's not a big issue?

You must not know how to google. This actually happened in my hometown lol.

http://www.pjstar.com/article/20140416/News/140419123

[Gheld]

They weren't looking for a "fake twitter account".

They were looking for a real twitter account that was made under fake pretenses for the purpose of political satire. This some grade A thought police shit from the very beginning.

[Deleted]

So had they found evidence that he murdered some kid that died mysteriously a few years ago, you would still want them to just ignore that?

It happens all over the place, at customs we have to let go countless of people of who we are aware that are transporting illegal products simply because they are crossing the border at a specific point. It's fucking ridiculous that so many criminals go free simply because they weren't caught "the right way".

[Gheld]

So had they found evidence that he murdered some kid that died mysteriously a few years ago, you would still want them to just ignore that?

see: Moral imperative.

There's plenty of moral imperative to act upon apprehending a murderer, for justice, and the safety of society.

There is absolutely 0 dick fuck all moral imperative to stop some 20 something guy from smoking pot.

[Wells]

So had they found evidence that he murdered some kid that died mysteriously a few years ago, you would still want them to just ignore that?

I know you can read.

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It's fucking ridiculous that so many criminals go free simply because they weren't caught "the right way".

Those rules protect you and me. A police department that does not follow due process and protocol is little more than a state sponsored vigilante group.

[Revi]

The mayor pulled some strings to arrange a swat raid, not surprised he can talk a judge into accepting it. It's blatant public misuse of power yet I'd bet my savings that he'll get away with it without consequence. Scary how much powerful people can get away with without the public even trying to intervene.