Presto
04-24-2014, 06:41 PM
This news has been spreading like crazy in the US. Basically, there's was a Twitter account that was a labeled as the mayor of Peoria, that made offensive tweets. The real mayor abused his power and raided the house.
Much :fulloffuck:
Streisand Effect. Now, comes the backlash.
City Council saves best for last - News - Journal Star - Peoria, IL (http://www.pjstar.com/article/20140423/NEWS/140429479)
PEORIA — The evening began with sweet music and ended on sour notes.
In between, most of a City Council meeting that lasted more than four hours Tuesday night might not have been particularly newsworthy. But the final hour more than made up for it.
Comments from council members, the public and Mayor Jim Ardis regarding his legal efforts against a parody Twitter account provided multiple did-I-hear-that-correctly moments.
Ardis appeared on the verge of tears as he defended his actions. A council member gave the city manager a pointed dressing down. And there was talk about how Millennials are peeved by Ardis’ actions.
“Young people are angry, very angry,” at-large Councilman Chuck Weaver said.
But a grandmother might have made the most potent, poignant case.
Said Caroline Elliott, whose grandson Jacob Elliott was arrested during a police raid in search of the Twitter-account originator, “This is all so ridiculous.”
That might have been how many in a packed gallery felt about the biggest news of the evening being saved for last.
Usually, a public-comment period is among the final things on the agenda for each council meeting. But on occasion, public comments are moved to the top of the list, if enough people want to discuss a topic. It’s a courtesy for those who might prefer to leave early and skip deliberations about sometimes mundane items.
No such courtesy was extended Tuesday.
Following a meeting prelude that featured musical performances from Peoria School District 150 students, onlookers who wanted to discuss the Ardis Twitter situation waited. And waited. And waited some more, unless they left.
Discussions about mowing grass on vacant lots, academics at Peoria High School and animation on electronic advertising signs came and went. During council members’ opportunity to introduce new business, so did three or four other topics.
Finally, at about 9:27 p.m., more than three hours after the meeting began, Weaver broached the Twitter subject. He asked Ardis if it was an appropriate time.
“Go for it,” the mayor said.
Indeed, Weaver did.
The councilman who briefly considered challenging Ardis in the election last year suggested the show of police force perpetuates a pattern of overaggressiveness. He also suggested the council’s only employee might share culpability in creating such a culture.
Weaver made reference to City Manager Patrick Urich’s job evaluation, conducted last month.
“One of the themes that came up was the importance that you work with the entire council,” Weaver said to Urich. “Sometimes your loyalty to the mayor is too great, and your loyalty to the council is not sufficient.”
Urich showed little reaction to Weaver’s upbraiding. Once Ardis began to read from what appeared to be a prepared statement, he countered Urich’s stoicism.
“What was printed I don’t think was parody, and it certainly isn’t fun when you and your family are on the receiving end of scurrilous sexual description,” an occasionally raspy, halting Ardis said.
“As a person, I felt a victim of sexual doggerel and filth. It was filth. It was absolute filth.”
So agreed a public speaker who supported Ardis, one of two among eight who addressed the council.
“We’re livid when they’re bullying a kid who hangs himself because of what was said on the computer, but we’re supposed to tell you to ignore it? Good for you, Jim,” said LaVetta Ricca, a South Peoria neighborhood activist.
Caroline Elliott, who is in Ricca’s age bracket, didn’t appear to share that view.
“I don’t have a tweet (sic) account ... but you’ve got to promise me you’re not going to send the cops to my house, just because I’m standing here disagreeing with you,” she said to Ardis, whom she called a longtime friend.
Caroline Elliott said she wasn’t pleased about the marijuana possession that resulted in her grandson’s arrest. But she appeared even less pleased about the circumstances that led to it.
“I think we’re all hurting by this, and I don’t think you should use your employees as weapons to get even with the citizens of this city,” said the widow of longtime Peoria radio personality Don Elliott. “We have the right to stand up for what we believe in.”
The start of this ride:
Fake Peoria mayor Twitter account prompts real raid of West Bluff house - News - Journal Star - Peoria, IL (http://www.pjstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20140416%2FNEWS%2F140419123)
PEORIA — Police searched a West Bluff house Tuesday and seized phones and computers in an effort to unmask the author of a parody Twitter account that purported to be Mayor Jim Ardis.
The account — known as @Peoriamayor on the popular social media service that limits entries to 140 characters — already had been suspended for several weeks when up to seven plainclothes police officers executed a search warrant about 5:20 p.m. at 1220 N. University St.
Three people at the home were taken to the Peoria Police Department for questioning. Two other residents were picked up at their places of employment and taken to the station, as well.
One resident — 36-year-old Jacob L. Elliott — was booked into the Peoria County Jail on charges of possessing 30 to 500 grams of marijuana and possessing drug paraphernalia, but no arrests were made in connection with the Twitter account.
“They just asked me about the Twitter account, if I knew anything about it,” said Michelle Pratt, 27, a resident who was in the shower when officers first arrived at the front door. “They brought me in like I was a criminal.”
Pratt, who is Elliott’s girlfriend, said she spent more than three hours alone in an interview room before being questioned by detectives. One other resident, who declined to be identified, said he spent considerably less time in custody but was subject to the same type of questions.
“They said they had a search warrant and took all the electronic devices that had Internet access,” Pratt said. “They said there had been an Internet crime that occurred at this residence.”
Peoria Police Chief Steve Settingsgaard said officers were investigating the creator of the Twitter account for false personation of a public official. The offense is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $2,500 and up to a year in jail.
The @Peoriamayor account began in late February or early March with a photo of Ardis and a bio that stated he enjoyed serving the city and included his city email address.
The content of tweets, or entries on the account, ranged from ambiguous to offensive, with repeat references to sex and drugs — and comparisons of Ardis to Toronto Mayor Rob Ford as Ford’s drug use while in office became public.
By about March 10, the bio of the Twitter account was changed to indicate it was a parody account.
Settingsgaard, however, said the intent of the account was not clearly satirical.
“I don’t agree it was obvious, and in fact it appears that someone went to great lengths to make it appear it was actually from the mayor,” Settingsgaard said in an email response to questions.
Ardis did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
By late March, the @Peoriamayor account was suspended by Twitter. It had about 50 tweets and just as many followers.
“A parody means it’s fake. It was even listed as fake,” Pratt said. “It was a joke Twitter account, and they searched the whole house.”
If you want more news about this, just Google 'Peoria'.
Also, here's the last hour of the last council meeting. The mayor looks like he's about to cry. It's 60 min of the council and citizens giving it to him.
Jim Ardis - Police Raid on Parody Twitter - Peoria Council Meeting (Apr 22, 2014) - YouTube
Much :fulloffuck:
Streisand Effect. Now, comes the backlash.
City Council saves best for last - News - Journal Star - Peoria, IL (http://www.pjstar.com/article/20140423/NEWS/140429479)
PEORIA — The evening began with sweet music and ended on sour notes.
In between, most of a City Council meeting that lasted more than four hours Tuesday night might not have been particularly newsworthy. But the final hour more than made up for it.
Comments from council members, the public and Mayor Jim Ardis regarding his legal efforts against a parody Twitter account provided multiple did-I-hear-that-correctly moments.
Ardis appeared on the verge of tears as he defended his actions. A council member gave the city manager a pointed dressing down. And there was talk about how Millennials are peeved by Ardis’ actions.
“Young people are angry, very angry,” at-large Councilman Chuck Weaver said.
But a grandmother might have made the most potent, poignant case.
Said Caroline Elliott, whose grandson Jacob Elliott was arrested during a police raid in search of the Twitter-account originator, “This is all so ridiculous.”
That might have been how many in a packed gallery felt about the biggest news of the evening being saved for last.
Usually, a public-comment period is among the final things on the agenda for each council meeting. But on occasion, public comments are moved to the top of the list, if enough people want to discuss a topic. It’s a courtesy for those who might prefer to leave early and skip deliberations about sometimes mundane items.
No such courtesy was extended Tuesday.
Following a meeting prelude that featured musical performances from Peoria School District 150 students, onlookers who wanted to discuss the Ardis Twitter situation waited. And waited. And waited some more, unless they left.
Discussions about mowing grass on vacant lots, academics at Peoria High School and animation on electronic advertising signs came and went. During council members’ opportunity to introduce new business, so did three or four other topics.
Finally, at about 9:27 p.m., more than three hours after the meeting began, Weaver broached the Twitter subject. He asked Ardis if it was an appropriate time.
“Go for it,” the mayor said.
Indeed, Weaver did.
The councilman who briefly considered challenging Ardis in the election last year suggested the show of police force perpetuates a pattern of overaggressiveness. He also suggested the council’s only employee might share culpability in creating such a culture.
Weaver made reference to City Manager Patrick Urich’s job evaluation, conducted last month.
“One of the themes that came up was the importance that you work with the entire council,” Weaver said to Urich. “Sometimes your loyalty to the mayor is too great, and your loyalty to the council is not sufficient.”
Urich showed little reaction to Weaver’s upbraiding. Once Ardis began to read from what appeared to be a prepared statement, he countered Urich’s stoicism.
“What was printed I don’t think was parody, and it certainly isn’t fun when you and your family are on the receiving end of scurrilous sexual description,” an occasionally raspy, halting Ardis said.
“As a person, I felt a victim of sexual doggerel and filth. It was filth. It was absolute filth.”
So agreed a public speaker who supported Ardis, one of two among eight who addressed the council.
“We’re livid when they’re bullying a kid who hangs himself because of what was said on the computer, but we’re supposed to tell you to ignore it? Good for you, Jim,” said LaVetta Ricca, a South Peoria neighborhood activist.
Caroline Elliott, who is in Ricca’s age bracket, didn’t appear to share that view.
“I don’t have a tweet (sic) account ... but you’ve got to promise me you’re not going to send the cops to my house, just because I’m standing here disagreeing with you,” she said to Ardis, whom she called a longtime friend.
Caroline Elliott said she wasn’t pleased about the marijuana possession that resulted in her grandson’s arrest. But she appeared even less pleased about the circumstances that led to it.
“I think we’re all hurting by this, and I don’t think you should use your employees as weapons to get even with the citizens of this city,” said the widow of longtime Peoria radio personality Don Elliott. “We have the right to stand up for what we believe in.”
The start of this ride:
Fake Peoria mayor Twitter account prompts real raid of West Bluff house - News - Journal Star - Peoria, IL (http://www.pjstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20140416%2FNEWS%2F140419123)
PEORIA — Police searched a West Bluff house Tuesday and seized phones and computers in an effort to unmask the author of a parody Twitter account that purported to be Mayor Jim Ardis.
The account — known as @Peoriamayor on the popular social media service that limits entries to 140 characters — already had been suspended for several weeks when up to seven plainclothes police officers executed a search warrant about 5:20 p.m. at 1220 N. University St.
Three people at the home were taken to the Peoria Police Department for questioning. Two other residents were picked up at their places of employment and taken to the station, as well.
One resident — 36-year-old Jacob L. Elliott — was booked into the Peoria County Jail on charges of possessing 30 to 500 grams of marijuana and possessing drug paraphernalia, but no arrests were made in connection with the Twitter account.
“They just asked me about the Twitter account, if I knew anything about it,” said Michelle Pratt, 27, a resident who was in the shower when officers first arrived at the front door. “They brought me in like I was a criminal.”
Pratt, who is Elliott’s girlfriend, said she spent more than three hours alone in an interview room before being questioned by detectives. One other resident, who declined to be identified, said he spent considerably less time in custody but was subject to the same type of questions.
“They said they had a search warrant and took all the electronic devices that had Internet access,” Pratt said. “They said there had been an Internet crime that occurred at this residence.”
Peoria Police Chief Steve Settingsgaard said officers were investigating the creator of the Twitter account for false personation of a public official. The offense is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $2,500 and up to a year in jail.
The @Peoriamayor account began in late February or early March with a photo of Ardis and a bio that stated he enjoyed serving the city and included his city email address.
The content of tweets, or entries on the account, ranged from ambiguous to offensive, with repeat references to sex and drugs — and comparisons of Ardis to Toronto Mayor Rob Ford as Ford’s drug use while in office became public.
By about March 10, the bio of the Twitter account was changed to indicate it was a parody account.
Settingsgaard, however, said the intent of the account was not clearly satirical.
“I don’t agree it was obvious, and in fact it appears that someone went to great lengths to make it appear it was actually from the mayor,” Settingsgaard said in an email response to questions.
Ardis did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
By late March, the @Peoriamayor account was suspended by Twitter. It had about 50 tweets and just as many followers.
“A parody means it’s fake. It was even listed as fake,” Pratt said. “It was a joke Twitter account, and they searched the whole house.”
If you want more news about this, just Google 'Peoria'.
Also, here's the last hour of the last council meeting. The mayor looks like he's about to cry. It's 60 min of the council and citizens giving it to him.
Jim Ardis - Police Raid on Parody Twitter - Peoria Council Meeting (Apr 22, 2014) - YouTube