By Tom Lemons, Founder and Investigative Journalist, R News, lawfare at the local level does not announce itself. It does not arrive in a single dramatic ruling or a sweeping act of censorship. It emerges through repetition and alignment-complaints accepted without scrutiny, arrests made in the absence of evidence, civil litigation that outlasts the news cycle, administrative practices that strangle free speech.
In a recent case that echoes the tactics used against former President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, a local journalist shared his harrowing experience with lawfare. The journalist, who has been investigating and reporting on local issues in Hernando County, Florida, claims that he was subjected to a series of complaints, arrests, and civil lawsuits aimed at silencing him.
The incidents began on January 15, 2022, when the journalist received a complaint about one of his articles. He was subsequently arrested on February 10, 2022, at 3:00 PM at the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, 24036 State Road 19, Brooksville, Florida. The arrest was made in the absence of evidence, according to the journalist.
The journalist’s case highlights the growing concern about lawfare tactics being used to silence local journalists and stifle free speech. Hernando County has seen a rise in such incidents, with several journalists and media outlets reporting similar experiences.
In related news, the Hernando County Commission has scheduled a meeting to discuss the issue of lawfare and its impact on local journalism. The meeting will take place on March 15, 2023, at 6:00 PM at the Hernando County Courthouse, 20 North Main Street, Brooksville, Florida.
Originally reported by R News
Sources: R News
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