New Hampshire Police Charged and Arrested a Man for Criticizing Them on the Internet

Relax. An arrest is not a conviction. This will wind up with the cops with egg on their faces and a very nice false arrest suit.

If this story is accurate, it’s an absolutely disgusting use of police power

I hope that some great civil libertarian lawyers will handle this mans case for free and go after this police force with all their might

a reply to: Grambler

then I'll pay the bill while the police association prevents the department from any real discipline until they do it again at which time the same cycle will occur

a reply to: Krakatoa

So someone was punished for expressing an opinion.

Yeah, authoritarian much?

originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: Krakatoa

So someone was punished for expressing an opinion.

Yeah, authoritarian much?

Apparently they have a statute which allows them to punish people for spreading harmful lies about other people.
The important question is... was he lying about them being corrupted?

a reply to: RowanBean

So opinions are okay, just so long as they are nice?

originally posted by: network dude
a reply to: Krakatoa

while I agree, this seems wrong on many levels, I can't help but think of the guy who stripped naked, covered himself with bacon grease and crawled into a badger den, then got upset the badgers attacked him. he had every right to be in that badger den covered in bacon grease.

darn right he did, if we give them stinking badgers any leeway next thing u know they'll be breakin' into our homes and tamperin' with our womenfolk!

originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: RowanBean

So opinions are okay, just so long as they are nice?

Ask the lawmakers in New Hampshire.

644:11 Criminal Defamation.
– I. A person is guilty of a class B misdemeanor if he purposely communicates to any person, orally or in writing, any information which he knows to be false and knows will tend to expose any other living person to public hatred, contempt or ridicule.

Wouldn't they have to prove that he knew it was false? What if he was telling the truth?

a reply to: RowanBean

What about casual speculation?

Innocent and jail the ####ing cops. Authoritarian thin-skinned nancy bois!

a reply to: DBCowboy

Innocent and jail the ####ing cops.

Hope you don't live in NH.

But yeah stupid cops abusing their power cause muh hurt feelings.

These cops are just proving him right.

It seems the goal here is retaliation, if it is all correct. I looked up his name and read a half a dozen articles on this. He is claiming they are just trying to silence him since he is on probation right now. He is claiming that the cops know that even a misdemeanor such as the defamation of character he is getting charged with will put him back behind bars, and silence him, as any offense is a violation of his probation.

What the cops didn't anticipate was the national involvement -- now the guy will have a good attorney and the cops will have to prove that he is wrong and that it was defamation. Basically, they may have to look into past cases and prove he was lying, which is never a good thing if the cops are crooked, as Frese claims, or his attorneys will be given access to them to prove his assertion.

If he cannot prove that Shupe covered anything up, then a misdemeanor will put him behind bars for a loooong time. Even if evidence just disappears.

And the next person will have to think twice about speaking out against authority.

a reply to: Krakatoa

Amazing how i work in the town literally right next to Exeter, and have not heard this story. People pay lots of money to send their kids to Phillips Exeter Academy in this town so it is a very wealthy town and doesnt represent NH very well as a whole. They kind of call Exeter a yuppie Massachusetts town.

Cops are definitely dirty in this corrupt little town, now lets see if i will be getting pulled over after work.

a reply to: Krakatoa

...it’s important to remember that law enforcement has vast power to suppress expression it dislikes. Immigration activists...Demonstrators protesting police brutality...police departments have allegedly retaliated against citizens.... The Exeter case is a bracing reminder that people with guns and badges often present the most immediate threat to the freedom of speech.

It's also important to remember that the same LEOs that can and would threaten/retaliate against citizens would do exactly the same to any fellow LEOs who dared challenge their bad behavior. And when the top brass are among those who could and would and do threaten/retaliate against good LEOs, the good LEOs have no good options.

And it doesn't help when people make excuses for bad behavior in the name of supporting the truly good and noble LEOs who put themselves in harm's way. Doing so actually puts the good LEOs in a dangerous position. In the case of sheriffs, people have to take responsibility at the ballot box. In the case of police, it's time to go to the mayor and city council and demand better.

People who would otherwise kneel during the anthem could choose a different venue, like sponsoring a televised town hall, and INCLUDE stuff like this, and include protecting the minority, also, in their protesting the abuse of policing power, and they might garner more support...

originally posted by: Kharron

If he cannot prove that Shupe covered anything up, then a misdemeanor will put him behind bars for a loooong time. Even if evidence just disappears.

I'm pretty sure the burden of proof is on Police Chief Shupe... Since Shupe is bringing the charges, Shupe will have to prove that he did not cover anything up in order to prove that the defendant, Freese, is in fact lying and therefore defaming Shupe's character with malice.

badgers know better. They learned the first time.

a reply to: WarPig1939

You said it...this isn't right.he needs national coverage to help him....sad news isn't real anymore. We used to be able to speak our minds and stand up to make a difference. sucks now.we are fewer and fewer.1 dat this site will go away is fb or Google or whoever says so. That's lame....poor guy. Protect n serve my butt.. Harass and prohibit. N extort. N degrade.

Wow, that's crazy. This country's ethics are in a downward spiral. Constitution... what Constitution?

originally posted by: RowanBean

644:11 Criminal Defamation.
– I. A person is guilty of a class B misdemeanor if he purposely communicates to any person, orally or in writing, any information which he knows to be false and knows will tend to expose any other living person to public hatred, contempt or ridicule.

So...where did you find this? Y'all have a link?

I say this because that appears to be a violation of two Constitutions and a federal law...


Title 18 Section 242

Section 242 of Title 18 makes it a crime for a person acting under color of any law to willfully deprive a person of a right or privilege protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States.

-- www.justice.gov...

Just a wee bit from the Dept. of Justice.

To me it looks like these "cops" are in violation of law superior to what they are enforcing. These superior laws make the laws (probably local ordinances) illegal and void.

Personally, I'd charge everybody connected to this with vilation of federal law...let them spend som jail time.