Free for a Fee

[note, Ed: This is neither, at time of printing, a defamation nor right of publicity case. The Mayor bases his worries on an IL. state statute that forbids impersonating an elected official—although the IL right of publicity gives one the legal ability to be an impersonator . . . the IP law differs from the “impersonation” statute when it comes to law enforcement and elected officials. The law “protects” the public from fake police . . . or phone calls from fake mayors, etc. One doubts that the legislative intent was for use in shutting down edgy twitter accounts/posters. The case is of local interest, so included here]

Illinois police seized computers and mobile phones while raiding a house whose owner was suspected of parodying the town mayor on Twitter.

In all, five people following the Tuesday evening raid were taken to the Peoria Police Department station for questioning, local media report.

“They just asked me about the Twitter account, if I knew anything about it,” Michelle Pratt, 27, told the Journal Star.