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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 that he said jailed him in order to censor him. In a press release , Bushart's legal team at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) confirmed that Bushart agreed to dismiss his lawsuit in exchange for the "substantial settlement." "I am pleased my First Amendment rights have been vindicated," Bushart said. "The people’s freedom to participate in civil discourse is crucial to a healthy democracy. I am looking forward to moving on and spending time with my family." Read full article Comments

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 that he said jailed him in order to censor him.

In a press release , Bushart's legal team at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) confirmed that Bushart agreed to dismiss his lawsuit in exchange for the "substantial settlement."

Sheriff loses fight with man he jailed for 37 days for posting a Trump meme on Facebook.

The settlement will help ensure that Bushart and his wife have a comfortable retirement. That was threatened when Bushart was jailed, as he lost his post-retirement job. But the settlement doesn’t make up for other losses. The grandfather missed the birth of his grandchild while he was stuck behind bars for more than a month, as he couldn’t afford to pay his eye-popping $2 million bond.

“No one should be hauled off to jail in the dark of night over a harmless meme just because the authorities disagree with its message,” Adam Steinbaugh, FIRE senior attorney, said. “We’re pleased that Larry has been compensated for this injustice, but local law enforcement never should have forced him to endure this ordeal in the first place.”