Liberty University police issue arrest warrants for NYT, ProPublica reporters

[left-of-center2012]

Source: The Hill

Liberty University president Jerry Falwell Jr. on Wednesday said that arrest warrants had been issued for reporters from The New York Times and ProPublica after both publications wrote stories criticizing his decision last month to partially reopen his Virginia-based.

Photos of the arrest warrants for New York Times freelance photographer Julia Rendleman and ProPublica reporter Alec MacGillis, were published on the website of conservative radio host Todd Starnes. The warrant alleges each committed misdemeanor trespassing on campus while gathering information for their respective stories.

Falwell Jr.'s decision on March 24 to reopen the private evangelical Christian university campus as all other universities in the state remained closed amid the coronavirus crisis occurred came nearly two weeks after Gov. Ralph Northam (D) issued a state of emergency, prompting widespread criticism. The move sparked widespread criticism. Five days after the campus reopened, The New York Times reported that, according to the school's director of student health services, nearly a dozen students had reported symptoms similar to those experienced in positive coronavirus cases.

The university said that the reporters committed “trespassing on posted property.”
"The arrest warrants are issued by a magistrate based on information derived from an investigation conducted by Liberty University Police Department, the police agency with primary jurisdiction, based on reports of criminal trespassing on posted property made by Liberty University," the University told The Hill in an email.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/media/492015-liberty-university-police-issue-arrest-warrants-for-nyt-propublica-reporters

---

[SWBTATTReg]

1. Fake. All fake. The warrants don't have any legality off campus. In what world can a private ...

enterprise issue arrest warrants? Idiots.

[RKP5637]

3. K&R !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Thomas Hurt]

5. a "magistrate" issued them, not the cops, which magistrate is the question.

[DeminPennswoods]

8. Magistrate is a justice of the peace

afaik

[Thomas Hurt]

12. yes, but does that magistrate have authority and jurisdiction to issue felony arrest warrants.

He she may well have that...

[DeminPennswoods]

16. Usually it's traffic tickets and minor offenses like that

Maybe trespassing falls under their jurisdiction. In PA, they can handle civil cases up to $12,000. I would liken the kinds of cases to those the TV judge shows resolve.

[Chrysanthemum]

22. Misdemeanor

You'll notice in the article that the warrants are for misdemeanors, not felonies.

[Thomas Hurt]

37. then they should have just received a summons, a ticket, not an arrest warrant.

[paleotn]

67. Whatever.

I doubt they'll be extradited. The whole thing won't last 15 minutes in a court of law.

[generalbetrayus]

7. I'm not sure it's fake. According to the article ...

"The arrest warrants are issued by a magistrate based on information derived from an investigation conducted by Liberty University Police Department, the police agency with primary jurisdiction, based on reports of criminal trespassing on posted property made by Liberty University," the University told The Hill in an email."

Hopefully, the case would be quickly laughed out of court if it ever gets to court, but it sounds like there is a legal document here.

[usaf-vet]

9. Trump world?

[DENVERPOPS]

13. LOL

Let their campus Police arrest someone.......That someone would have legal grounds and criminal grounds to go after them big time.


They, just like Trump and his minions are just baffooning for their followers, this is pure bullshit bravado.....and posturing.

What a bunch of fuckups...........Their arrest warrants could only be believed by someone with low intelligence....LOL

Just like the guy who went to the pizza parlor looking for Hillary's child trafficking ring headquarters in the basement..... It would be funny if it weren't so damn pathetic........

What is really really really frightening, is the millions of his followers that actually believe this shit. It's un-fathomable

[lagomorph777]

44. So in what world does "Liberty" include arresting journalists for doing their jobs?

Oh yeah. Trumpworld.

[SWBTATTReg]

54. Really! I'd say its embarrassing to the whole School, and hypocrisy at its worst. NT

[spike jones]

52. A world with no separation between church and state would be one. n/t

[SWBTATTReg]

58. Yes, unfortunately. That's why a lot of immigrants settled this country, for freedom of speech and

the right to celebrate their religion as they wanted, and the founders kept the abusive powers of state and church from Europe, from making its ugly path here into the US. Amazing how ignorant a lot of these people, who certainly exercise their rights, but ignore that of others.

[spike jones]

65. I was thinking about when the church would arrest and try sinners (criminals)

and turn them over to the state for punishment. You know when a sin was a crime.
BTW I think Ireland just recently got rid of their blasphemy laws.

[RKP5637]

2. FFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! n/t

[defacto7]

4. Hilarious fools.

[bucolic_frolic]

6. Posted

'No hunting, no fishing'

[cstanleytech]

10. We really shouldn't give the dumpster fire that is Falwell any free PR.

[left-of-center2012]

17. Don't tell anyone

[pwb]

11. They hate when they get caught being stupid.

Which is almost always.

[Thomas Hurt]

14. Even if the reporters are gulty of trespassing...

this is just an attempt by the christofascist theocrats to intimidate, bully and attack the press and the free speech.

They don't care that they trespassed they care that they write stories that look bad....right out of the amoral pig's playbook.

[generalbetrayus]

15. A little background on what a magistrate in Virginia can do.

http://www.courts.state.va.us/courtadmin/aoc/mag/about.html

[turbinetree]

18. Then someone in Virginia should charge Liberty University as impersonating, well a university.......

[left-of-center2012]

20. Why Kentucky?

Liberty University is a private evangelical Christian university in Lynchburg, Virginia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_University

[turbinetree]

21. My mistake was thinking of something else............will be corrected.....asp

[aggiesal]

19. Do the reporter even have to go on campus to find this information out? ...

Students can provide this information off campus.

[DBoon]

29. are students at Liberty allowed to go off campus without permission?

nt

[Thomas Hurt]

39. I think they have social distancing all the time. Sins of flesh and all that.

[cab67]

43. Know why Liberty University students are so opposed to premarital sex?

It might lead to dancing.

[TeamPooka]

23. If there's really a God he/she will burn that university to the ground. Like Sodom.

Vengeful wrath

[mountain grammy]

24. File this under "FAKE CHRISTIANS"

What a fucking moron!

[Chrysanthemum]

25. Another idiotic instance of the "Streisand effect"

They are so incredibly stupid.

They're upset about getting press coverage of their immoral decision to reopen the so-called university. So what do they do? Something that guarantees more press coverage of their immoral decision to reopen the so-called university! Brilliant!

I guess both their legal and public relations staff got their degrees at this so-called university, or another one like it.

[Greg K]

26. "Liberty" University

[progressoid]

53. Yeah, a little ironic.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

27. At the risk of having yet another post alerted on, here is the link to Todd Starnes's tweet:

I see the words "Commonwealth of Virginia" at the top of the pages.

Glad to hear Liberty University is going after
@NYTLiz
and the
@nytimes
and
@propublica
. It's time to make the mainstream media pay a price for their lies.
@JerryFalwellJr
https://toddstarnes.com/values/lawsuits-will-be-filed-falwell-blasts-nyt-others-over-fake-liberty-university-report/

Link to tweet

[SWBTATTReg]

32. Perhaps its time to issue a warrant for Jerry F. Jr's arrest, after all, he's endangering the public

welfare of those around the entire campus.

[underpants]

33. Ugh. Todd Starnes

He’s the one pushing the BS hospital videos.

[ck4829]

75. Very gross dude

[TygrBright]

28. Can we charge Liberty with impersonating an educational institution? n/t

[elleng]

30. "Liberty"

the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views.

[Runningdawg]

31. I picked one hell of a time to finally read the Handmaid's Tale

[Chrysanthemum]

69. It's a great book, isn't it? n/t

[Runningdawg]

73. Yeah it is. I wish I could see the series.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

34. Liberty's Falwell threatens to sue New York Times for 'fake' COVID on campus report

So sad that the
@nytimes

@NYTLiz

@politico
and the rest of the #FakeNews would put their political agenda ahead of the truth about a public health crisis and
@LibertyU
! Thank you
@SecretsBedard
and
@dcexaminer
for exposing them!

Link to tweet

OPINION: WASHINGTON SECRETS
Liberty's Falwell threatens to sue New York Times for 'fake' COVID on campus report
by Paul Bedard | April 09, 2020 08:26 AM

[niyad]

41. Jerry, you insane, arrogant ass. May Kharma bite you in the ass, like several other christofascist m

[captain jack]

35. "Mother of God."

[George II]

36. Frigging moron snowflake. Never thought this could be possible, but he's even worse than Sr.

[Sancho]

38. First think I thought of....Liberty...

[volstork]

40. Um........Ok?

[world wide wally]

42. I hope they arrested those two corinthians

[The Wizard]

45. Lest they forget

The First Amendment guarantees freedom of the press as well as religious freedom.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

48. Liberty University is private property. They can post "no trespassing" signs.

They get to control who has access to their property.

[localroger]

59. But in order to claim that, you have to POST the property

You don't get to say "Oh wait, they were on my property and I don't like what they did, so they were trespassing." Unless there were actually access controls which were bypassed and signs forbidding access to non-Liberty personnel which were ignored or a specific warning ("reading the trespass act&quot to the individuals who are forbidden, then the access they took can't be made illegal post hoc.

Certain kinds of spaces such as sidewalks and parking lots are considered public spaces even if they are private property unless they are specially posted to warn people of their unusual status. The outdoor spaces of a university campus are generally considered open-access because that's necessary for visitors and prospective students to check the place out. Building interiors and fenced-in areas are generally regarded as private and off-limits to people who don't have a reason to be there.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

61. They did.

Jerry Falwell Jr. went to the University of Virginia law school.

[localroger]

68. They did HOW?

That JFJ went to a law school means nothing. I know a guy who ran a very successful card counting team and spent a decade playing cat and mouse with casino bans. When you build something that looks like a public conveyance there are pretty strict rules about what you have to do to make it not be what it looks like. They would have a pretty good case if there was a guard shack and the reporters snuck around it to enter the campus, but if they went through and the guard waved them on the university has no case. If they depend on signage it has to be posted in a particular size and frequency to make sure you will notice it if you are innocently looking for a place to park your car or walk your dog. It would be almost impossible for a university to function with such a lockdown of external access; who would pick up the trash?

The rule of thumb for such institutions is that non-fenced outdoor spaces are open access, as are at least some areas of the Administration building where visitors can go to arrange access to other buildings and more secure areas. If the reporters were hanging out on the sidewalk interviewing students as they walked back and forth from class, it is impossible to believe the university has any kind of case against them at all.

Of course anyone can sue anyone for anything, and probably find a "magistrate" who has a LU background to sign off on the warrants, but that doesn't mean they will hold up in a higher court. My card counter friend won $150,000 on one occasion not at the tables but from a casino whose security manager decided to rough him up before letting him leave.

[The Wizard]

72. Is there a check point

visitors must pass to enter the campus? Is the property secured by a fence or wall? Are there signs posted advising which media outlets are prohibited from entering? Do they claim tax exempt status as a Church? If you recall, the Supreme Court erroneously ruled in the Hobby Lobby case that strongly held religious beliefs supersede the law. Equating belief with fact is a strange position for any Judge, let alone the Supreme Court. Throwing the qualifier "strongly" into the decision only served to further muddy the waters, opening the door for more litigation.

[rocktivity]

46. Did these reporters actually physically set foot on the campus

and if so, aren't the people the spoke to equally guilty?


rocktivity

[mahatmakanejeeves]

47. They were talking to students, who would not have been trespassing. NT

[rocktivity]

56. If there's a stipulated policy against students talking to non-campus personnel

while ON campus, then they ARE as guilty as the reporters are.


rocktivity

[avebury]

49. NYTs and ProPublica should say - Bring It On!

They should demand a trial by jury which would open up Liberty University to Discovery which might provide them with a lot more to publish.

[calimary]

50. Blessed are the truth-tellers.

[Mr.Bill]

51. Note to Liberty University students:

Unless you are applying for a job at Hobby Lobby or Chick Fil A, your degree will be laughed at in the real world.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

55. The stupid is strong with these people.

[lark]

57. Praying for karma. It's the only way they will pay attention and learn. n/i

[sprinkleeninow]

60. In the photo it almost appears as if COVID-45 is flipping a bird at Holy Scipture.

scumbuckets....

[Initech]

62. So much for conservatives being the party of free speech!

[LiberalFighter]

63. Too bad the reporters couldn't show up at Liberty and let them know they will be there.

But have a swarm of armed mercenary types around them.

[bubbazero]

64. Weird idea,

If "guilty" where should the reporters agree to surrender to custody. I am going with either the local synagogue, (may be too much), or local ADULT BOOK and HOBBY STORE. Hell, even a topless bar, officials must come INTO the den of iniquity to serve said papers. Oh shoot these are probably closed, damn. Help me out here

[whistler162]

66. Well then if any of thge Liberty University

students or staff die of Covid-19 caught due to the reopening of the university. Virginia should charge him with 1st-degree murder.

[roamer65]

70. Keystone cops.

Good luck with their hokey “warrant”.

[ck4829]

74. +1

[no_hypocrisy]

71. Hey Jer! You have a law school (allegedly) and you couldn't find a professor to explain

the Constitution to you?

OK, you have your fabricated "arrest warrants." What next? Who is going to take the named reporters into custody? To whom would they have to appear? Which court? Which judge? To whom would they may have to post bail for their release before their day in court (allegedly)?

All you have is a watered-down citizens' complaint. Municipal violation. That's it. Nada.

You know less about American Criminal Law than you know about The Bible. Shut up.