Sat 2/18 @ 6-9PM
While judicial rulings have found that satire is protected First Amendment speech, our Constitution apparently doesn’t apply to making fun of the Parma police. In 2016, aspiring Parma comedian Anthony Novak created a Facebook parody page, making fun of his local police department. Despite what he did being clearly legal, he was arrested, jailed and charged with a felony. He was found “not guilty,” but when he sued the Parma police department, his case was tossed on the grounds of so-called “qualified immunity,” which protects police from the consequences of actions others would be held accountable for — even murder.
One of the police reforms many have proposed is ending qualified immunity. The organization Americans Against Qualified Immunity and the Institute for Justice are presenting an evening called “Comedy Is Not a Crime,” to educate the public about their push to end qualified immunity in Ohio. It takes place at the Grog Shop, and will feature comedians John Bruton (host of the Grog Shop’s Make Em Laugh Mondays), Jimmie Graham and Miki Janosi.
“If the police can use their authority to arrest their critics without consequence, everyone’s rights are at risk,” they say.
The event is free, and representatives from the two organizations will be there to offer more information, as will Anthony Novak, who will talk about his case.
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