Man wins $835K after sheriff jailed him for a month over Charlie Kirk post
Larry Bushart, a retired Tennessee police officer, won an $835,000 settlement after being jailed for 37 days over a Facebook post. The post featured a meme related to a Trump quote, which the sheriff misinterpreted as a threat. Bushart's case highlights issues of free speech and government overreach in response to controversial online expressions.
- ▪Larry Bushart was jailed for 37 days for posting a meme on Facebook.
- ▪He received an $835,000 settlement after suing the county and sheriff for violating his First Amendment rights.
- ▪The sheriff issued a warrant for Bushart's arrest based on a misinterpretation of the meme as a threat.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
“Facebook jail” Man wins $835K after sheriff jailed him for a month over Charlie Kirk postvar abtest_2155376 = new ABTest(2155376, 'click'); Sheriff loses fight with man he jailed for 37 days for posting a Trump meme on Facebook. Ashley Belanger – May 20, 2026 10:50 am | 0 Larry Bushart wins fight with sheriff after trolling a Charlie Kirk vigil on Facebook. Credit: via FIRE Larry Bushart wins fight with sheriff after trolling a Charlie Kirk vigil on Facebook. Credit: via FIRE Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav Larry Bushart, a retired Tennessee cop who was jailed for 37 days for posting a Trump meme on Facebook, won an $835,000 settlement Wednesday after suing the county and sheriff…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Ars Technica - All content.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from Ars Technica - All content
