On Divorce Court, we’ve seen how social media posts can lead to relationship problems, but jail time?
In January 2015, Anne King asked her ex-husband, Corey King, a sheriff’s deputy for Washington County, Georgia, to pick up some medication for his sick children. When he refused, King took to Facebook to express her frustration with her ex. Somehow King and a friend ended up behind bars for a few hours in 2015 for disparaging her ex online.
“That moment when everyone in your house has the flu and you ask your kid’s dad to get them (not me) more Motrin and Tylenol and he refuses’ she posted on Facebook with an “overwhelmed” emoji.
Anne’s friend had her own words for the ex, calling him a “POS” in response to her friend’s post. That led to Corey King filing a incident report and filing charges against his ex and her friend due their “derogatory statements.”
The next day, a court magistrate issued warrants for the women, and later they were carted off to jail for a few hours. They were charged with “criminal defamation of character” and bailed after posting $1000.
When they got their day in court, the state-court judge dropped the case citing there was no basis for the arrest.
Anne King filed a lawsuit this month against her husband and Washington County but the county has immunity under the 11th agreement under federal courts. Her friend who was also jailed dropped out of the lawsuit to minimize the friction in their small community.
How could this have happened? The arrest warrants were issued under an outdated law which allows for criminal defamation. However, a 1982 Georgia Supreme Court decision ruled the law was unconstitutional.
Corey King claims he felt her description of his fatherly skills were untruthful.
“I don’t feel as though the portrayal of my fatherhood was truthful as what I do for my children and what I have done for my children as long as they have been alive,” he said in a deposition.
He also denies knowing his complaint would lead to her arrest. He’s placing blame on the magistrate who issued the warrants.
Anne King’s case is before a federal judge and waiting for a decision whether it will go to trial. Anne’s attorney Ken Hodges wants to prove his client’s ex abused his position of power.
Anne King is suing for compensatory and punitive damages including compensation for all legal fees.