A prosecutor threatened to enforce Tennessee's anti-drag law that was declared unconstitutional and

[In It to Win It]

he's now being sued

Chris Geidner
@chrisgeidner

I broke the news last night that Blount County, Tennessee’s prosecutor, Ryan Desmond, is threatening this weekend’s pride event with enforcement of the TN anti-drag law that a federal judge in a case out of Shelby County has said is unconstitutional.

lawdork.com
Tennessee prosecutor threatens pride event, warning he'll enforce anti-drag law

Melissa Stewart
@LissaJoStewart

Tonight we filed suit in the Eastern District of Tennessee to stop Ryan Desmond and 4 other Defendants from enforcing a law that a federal judge already declared unconstitutional.

You can read the complaint here:

2023-08-30 (ECF 1) Verified Complaint.pdf

Link to tweet

[PortTack]

1. Just hope theirs no violence!

[TNNurse]

2. This is where I live.

The event is on the Maryville College campus, my alma mater.

Assholes have moved here thinking that MC was a conservative Christian college since it is affiliated with the Presbyterian church.

It is not a conservative Christian college. Our elected officials however are all Republicans.

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

12. Maryville? Seriously?

An ancestor of my grandfather helped to establish that uni.

Small world!

[TNNurse]

13. Do you know the name of your ancestor??

[Marthe48]

3. Hey rwnj just stop

Whatever your problem is, a majority of Americans don't sympathize with your soul crushing bs. Just stop it.

[moonshinegnomie]

4. deprivation of rights under color of law

if he tries to enforce a law that was declared unconstitutional he can be arrested for deprivation of rights under color of law

Whoever, under color of any law, statute, ordinance, regulation, or custom, willfully subjects any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States, ... shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if bodily injury results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include the use, attempted use, or threatened use of a dangerous weapon, explosives, or fire, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and if death results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both, or may be sentenced to death.

[yonder]

5. Wonder how far he'll push it?

[MarineCombatEngineer]

6. I kinda hope he does try to push it to the limit,

that's the fuck around part, and when the Feds arrest and try him for oppression of civil rights under the color of law, that will be the find out part.

[yonder]

7. I'm enjoying the FO news lately. More to come.

Mr. Law and Order might be stepping in it soon himself.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

8. 100+. nt

[4lbs]

10. Yeah, I recall Governor George Wallace of Alabama tried to ignore a federal mandate

and it didn't work out too well for him.

[SpankMe]

9. The suit is useless

The prosecutor will disobey a court ruling and enforce a law that's been ruled unconstitutional (a law that is therefore invalidated and unenforceable).

Who's to say the prosecutor will honor a ruling from this suit that says to not enforce a law that has been ruled unconstitutional?

Republicans are simply not honoring the rule of law. This is the real crisis.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

14. And the judge will dismiss it with prejudice and then the Feds

will arrest and charge him with oppression of civil rights under the color of law, also, there will be a HUGE lawsuit against the city that will cost them lots and lots of money.

Oh yeah, one other thing, the prosecutor will lose his qualified immunity.

[moonshinegnomie]

15. and judges tend to get pissed when their orders are ignored

i could easily see the judge locking him up for criminal contempt and then him being prosecuted for deprivation of rights as step 2.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

16. Absolutely.

Judges tend to not have any humor when their orders are wantonly violated.

[struggle4progress]

11. Rudy and Donny