Ron Paul delegate pushed around

Ron Paul Delegate Sues City of St. Peters Over Caucus Arrest

Brent Stafford Claims Constitutional Rights Violated

By William Browning | Yahoo! Contributor Network – 16 hrs ago.

During the heated Republican primary and caucus season in the spring of 2012, an incident in St. Charles County, Mo., led to the arrest of a Ron Paul delegate at a local caucus. Brent Stafford is now suing the city of St. Peters, Mo., and police officer Tim Hickey over his incarceration of March 17, 2012. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Eastern Missouri filed a lawsuit in federal court Monday on behalf of Stafford. The plaintiff seeks remediation for his incarceration, which he feels violated his First Amendment rights to free speech.

* The 13-page legal complaint in U.S. District Court demands a jury trial against the city and Hickey. Five points are brought against the defendants, including false arrest and malicious prosecution.

* Stafford led Paul's campaign for St. Charles County last year. He was also a member of the county's Republican central committee. It was this central committee that hosted the caucus at Francis Howell High School.

* The plaintiff alleges two police officers, hired by GOP leaders to provide security at the meeting, were told to "expect 'trouble'" from Paul supporters. Stafford claims in his complaint that the "'trouble' ... was that Ron Paul would win."

* Stafford also contends he would have been elected the caucus chair had Eugene Dokes, chairman of the committee, run the meeting according to proper procedure. The plaintiff alleges nominees for the chair of the caucus were closed after a single nomination.

* The plaintiff alleges he was arrested for trespassing even though dozens of people remained in the high school gymnasium after being ordered to depart or face arrest. Stafford was arrested on a public sidewalk outside the building. A video of Stafford's arrest, labeled Exhibit 1 in the filing, shows the events as they unfolded outside the school. Several other videos of the caucus exists even though caucus leaders tried to ban video and audio recordings of the event.

* The Associated Press reveals the plaintiff was acquitted of his trespassing charge by a municipal judge in St. Peters. Stafford was jailed for three hours following the failed caucus.

* The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports the city had not received a copy of the lawsuit as of Monday afternoon. City officials have not yet responded to the lawsuit.

* The plaintiff believes his rights under the First and 14th Amendments were violated, his person was unreasonably searched without a warrant, his liberty was deprived without due process and his liberty was deprived for three hours.

* In addition to attorney's fees, Stafford seeks unspecified monetary damages. Five counts are brought against the city including violations of rights, false arrest, malicious prosecution, false arrest under state law and malicious prosecution under state law.

William Browning is a research librarian specializing in U.S. politics.

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