Newspaper Considers Civil Rights Suit Against Metro Council Members

Central City News editor Woody Jenkins said he will consider filing a Civil Rights civil suit against Parish Attorney Greg Rome and nine members of the Metro Council if they continue to attempt to censor the newspaper.

Section 1983 of the federal Civil Rights Act provides civil and criminal penalties against local public officials who act “under color of law” to violate the First, Fourth, or 14th Amendments to the Constitution.

“We have the option of filing a civil suit against these individuals or making a criminal complaint with the U.S. Attorney or both.  We have no intention of sitting back and allowing them to think they can intimidate our newspaper or muffle Freedom of the Press,” he said.

The Parish Attorney asked the 19th Judicial District to force the newspaper to take down its coverage of the Metro Council’s slush funds which it deemed “inflammatory.”

Jenkins said the City-Parish filings were laughable and the judge was right to throw them out of court.

“Read the Constitution!” he said.