A federal judge on Thursday ruled in favor of the Lawrence City Commission in a lawsuit that had alleged commissioners violated a frequent public commenter’s freedom of speech. Justin Spiehs, 43, formerly of Lawrence, has been a familiar sight protesting in public places and regularly speaking during local public meetings since mask mandates were put into place during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a case filed in November 2023 in federal court, Stilwell attorney Linus Baker detailed incidents of Spiehs being interrupted and asked to leave city meetings by commissioners. The complaint indicated that Spiehs believed he was being targeted for his views.
Source: The Lawrence Times
