An Illinois judge this week ruled that a police SWAT team was within its rights to raid the house of a man who ran a Twitter parody account based on the Peoria, Ill. mayor, according to The Guardian.
In April, four SWAT officers entered the house of Jacob Elliott’s Peoria house after the city’s mayor alerted the police to a Twitter account @peoriamayor, a fake account that depictedMayor Jim Artisas a drunk and a drug user.
During the raid, the police searched the entire house, seizing phones and computers, according to the Journal Star.
Elliott’s roommate, Jon Daniel, created the fake account, but during the search, police found marijuana in Elliott’s bedroom. Elliott was then charged with marijuana possession and possession of paraphernalia.
He sued the police, arguing that the marijuana seizure was not related to the original purpose of the raid.
The judge ruled that the police were entitled to raid the house looking for materials used to create the Twitter account under the state’s “false impersonation” law and the charges against Elliott will stand.
However, Daniel will not be charged with false impersonation. The judge ruled that in order to violate the state law, someone must falsely portray a public figure in person, not just online.
Daniel has now sued the police for violating his civil rights by raiding his house.
H/t Daily Beast
