{"id":570208,"date":"2021-06-22T10:51:11","date_gmt":"2021-06-22T14:51:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=570208"},"modified":"2021-06-22T10:51:27","modified_gmt":"2021-06-22T14:51:27","slug":"judge-tosses-most-cases-against-trump-for-clearing-of-lafayette-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-tosses-most-cases-against-trump-for-clearing-of-lafayette-park\/","title":{"rendered":"Judge Tosses Most Cases Against Trump For Clearing Of Lafayette Park"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fjudge-tosses-most-cases-against-trump-for-clearing-of-lafayette-park%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=570208&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A federal judge dismissed Monday multiple complaints by civil rights groups alleging former President Donald Trump and his administration violated protesters\u2019 civil rights when Lafayette Square Park was cleared.<\/p>\n<p>In one case, the plaintiffs, which included Black Lives Matter,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.courthousenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/BLMcomplaint.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">alleged<\/a> Trump and Attorney General William Bar ordered \u201cthe use of violence against peaceful demonstrators.\u201d Trump had entered the Lafayette Square area after it had been cleared and took a photo at St. John\u2019s Church.<\/p>\n<p>U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich, a Trump appointee, said plaintiffs\u2019 argument lacked enough evidence to prove the defendants planned to violate protesters\u2019 rights.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7220037\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" readability=\"36\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7220037\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7220037\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/GettyImages-1216826663-1-scaled-1.jpg\" alt=\"US President Donald Trump walks back to the White House escorted by the Secret Service after appearing outside of St John's Episcopal church across Lafayette Park in Washington, DC on June 1, 2020. - US President Donald Trump was due to make a televised address to the nation on Monday after days of anti-racism protests against police brutality that have erupted into violence. The White House announced that the president would make remarks imminently after he has been criticized for not publicly addressing in the crisis in recent days. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski \/ AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI\/AFP via Getty Images)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/GettyImages-1216826663-1-scaled-1.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/GettyImages-1216826663-1-180x120.jpg 180w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/GettyImages-1216826663-1-620x413-1.jpg 620w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/GettyImages-1216826663-1-768x512-1.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/GettyImages-1216826663-1-1536x1024-1.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/GettyImages-1216826663-1-2048x1365-1.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"  style=\"display:none\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-7220037\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">US President Donald Trump walks back to the White House escorted by the Secret Service after appearing outside of St John\u2019s Episcopal church across Lafayette Park in Washington, DC on June 1, 2020. -(BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201c[Plaintiffs] demonstrate only that these officials were communicating with each other on June 1, prior to and after the clearing of Lafayette Square,\u201d Friedrich <a href=\"https:\/\/www.courthousenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/lafayettesquareruling.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">wrote<\/a>. \u201cMerely alleging that the defendant officials communicated, without alleging any details of those communications that suggest an unlawful agreement, cannot justify inferring the requisite agreement for a \u2026 conspiracy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Friedrich also said the plaintiffs could not sue for money under a so-called \u2018Bivens Remedy\u2019 because they were unable to prove allegations that Barr and other officials violated plaintiffs\u2019 First, Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFirst, national security \u2013 specifically, the country\u2019s national-security interest in the safety and security of the President and the area surrounding the White House \u2013 strongly weighs against creating a Bivens remedy here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/wex\/bivens_actions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bivens Remedy<\/a>\u2018 allows plaintiffs to sue for monetary damages if a federal officer violates the Constitution.<\/p>\n<p>The D.C., American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) criticized the decision in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.acludc.org\/en\/press-releases\/judge-throws-out-constitutional-claims-against-federal-officials-police-attack-civil\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cToday\u2019s ruling essentially gives the federal government a green light to use violence, including lethal force against demonstrators, as long as federal officials claim to be protecting national security,\u201d Legal Director of the D.C., ACLU Scott Michelman said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUnder today\u2019s decision, Lafayette Square is now a Constitution-free zone when it comes to the actions of federal officials. Not only is this decision a stunning rejection of our constitutional values and protestors\u2019 First Amendment rights, but it effectively places federal officials above the law,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n<p>Friedrich did permit the challenges against the Arlington Police Department and Metropolitan Police Department to continue. Officers from both department\u2019s were involved in the clearing of the park.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs alleged, the defendants prohibited all expressive activities in Lafayette Square without any basis at all; they left open no alternative channels; and they forcibly dispersed protestors because of the plaintiffs\u2019 exercise of their protected First Amendment rights. Reasonable officers would have known that such alleged actions violated clearly established law.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Interior Department Inspector General Mark Greenblatt issued a <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/06\/09\/protesters-werent-forcibly-cleared-lafayette-park-because-donald-trump-photo-op-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">report<\/a> finding <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2020\/06\/02\/lafayette-park-tear-gas-police-trump-st-johns\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Park Police<\/a> were given the green light to clear protesters from the park prior to anyone knowing <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/06\/09\/trump-thanks-inspector-general-exonerating-lafayette-park\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Trump<\/a> was going to walk over to the church. The park was cleared so anti-scale fencing could be installed following riots, Greenblatt wrote, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/donald-trump\/police-did-not-clear-d-c-s-lafayette-park-protestors-n1270126\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NBC News<\/a>. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/06\/09\/legacy-media-trump-lafayette-square-bible-photo-op-peaceful-protesters-park-police\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">(RELATED: Legacy Media Suffers A Hit As Yet Another Trump Conspiracy Theory Evaporates)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe determined that the evidence did not support a finding that the (Park Police) cleared the park on June 1, 2020, so that then President Trump could enter the park.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Greenblatt did note there was miscommunication among officials in terms of clearing the park, claiming Barr pushed for the clearing to be sped up after he learned of Trump\u2019s plans to walk to St. Johns Church.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A federal judge dismissed Monday multiple complaints by civil rights groups alleging former President Donald Trump and his administration violated protesters\u2019 civil rights when Lafayette Square Park was cleared.In one &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2280945,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/GettyImages-1216826663-1-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"Judge Tosses Most Cases Against Trump For Clearing Of Lafayette Park","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-570208","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/GettyImages-1216826663-1-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"Judge Tosses Most Cases Against Trump For Clearing Of Lafayette Park","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/570208","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=570208"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/570208\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2280945"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=570208"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=570208"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=570208"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}