The bat guano crazy left won one this time. And it’s not a good look on local government.
TRAVERSE CITY — Grand Traverse County has settled a long-running lawsuit involving former Commissioner Ron Clous for $100,000, according to plaintiff attorney Blake Ringsmuth.
The settlement of the case likely came from a desire to end the nuisance suit and get back to the work they were supposedly elected to do. However, the core of the lawsuit against Commissioner Ron Clous revolves around the claim that his display of a rifle during a virtual meeting had a “chilling effect” on free speech. Yet, the ensuing legal action itself arguably exerts a chilling effect on expressive conduct, particularly when it pertains to constitutionally protected rights.
The “chilling effect” refers to the inhibition or discouragement of legitimate exercise of natural and legal rights by the threat of legal sanction. In this case, Clous’s action—while perhaps ill-advised (and maybe a little funny at the time), was a form of expressive conduct. The lawsuit, and the subsequent $100,000 settlement, could deter public officials from engaging in similar expressions, fearing legal repercussions.

