Journalist Tom Lemons may be jailed up to twenty years for investigating the Dawn Center, a shelter for victims of domestic violence in Hernando County, Florida.
Lemons talked to former employees and to women who sought help there. He learned about theft of donations, filthy conditions, and a chronically lawless atmosphere.
Now he is on trial for what he says are trumped-up charges designed to stop him from telling the tale. Lemons details his tribulations in his book Victim Shopping 101: The truth doesn’t always set you free.
The alleged cover-up may not be limited to the county sheriff’s office and county politicians. The Florida legislature has passed a law making it illegal to identify women’s shelters.
According to a recent press release by State Senator Ileana Garcia, “Senate Bill 70 makes it a first degree misdemeanor, or a felony upon a second or subsequent conviction [to maliciously disclose] any descriptive information or image that may identify the location of a certified domestic violence center.”
So . . . arrest the Internet?
As Lemons tells PJ Media’s Megan Fox, the shelter “promotes their services and fundraising events all the time on social media.” The point of the law, he believes, is only to stop him from distributing his documentary about the shelter, Behind the Gate, which the statute would outlaw.
Lemons’ April 28 interview is on YouTube.
Fox urges Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to do something to counter this travesty of justice. Vetoing SB 70 would be a start.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
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