ALL CHARGES DROPPED
GOOD NEWS FOR A CHANGE!
Amazing News!https://t.co/7IzqmhE7gj
— Helen Staniland (@helenstaniland) October 28, 2021
All charges against Marion Miller, the woman who was arrested for posting a picture of a Suffragette's ribbon on social media – as a trans activist found this 'offensive', have been dropped https://t.co/kBmH5j30RU
— ripx4nutmeg (@ripx4nutmeg) October 28, 2021
The following press release has been sent by Marion Millar's lawyers.
We are pleased that sense has prevailed and we hope that future cases are considered more carefully.#WomenWontWheesht pic.twitter.com/hfH6G220f6
— For Women Scotland (@ForwomenScot) October 28, 2021
Obviously delighted with this outcome. Prosecution against Marion Millar discontinued. See full statement below. pic.twitter.com/AeEnLohsVv
— Joanna Cherry QC (@joannaccherry) October 28, 2021
I just saw that and came here to tell everyone!
Brilliant news, I’m very relieved but not, obviously as relieved as Marion must be. I know it’s been a hugely stressful time for her. And I’m certain the repercussions will continue and she’ll still need our support.
Now let’s hope the Northern Ireland Police Service crumbles over Ceri’s ‘case’, too.
Very good news. The accusations of “transphobia” are lies and this is a good example. #IStandWithMarionMillar!
The next headline I want to see goes something like “Millar’s accuser charged for wasting police time” or similar.
Seriously. I long to see that.
That is good news. I hope the Crown Office and Police Scotland will stop doing this stupid crap.
There really need to be consequences for this use of the police, either for the accuser, or for the police service itself. Sure, the charges have been dropped, but they have very effectively served to intimidate and to some degree silence.
It’s not actually entirely over for Marion. As I understand it, the procurator fiscal could still decide to review the case and reinstate some or all of the charges. But I know even less about Scottish law than English.
As for Man at Bus Stop, I have my doubts that charges of wasting police time would stick. For one thing, one of the charges was brought by a serving police officer. For another, the police apparently took his complaints seriously enough to bring charges and the PF agreed to the prosecution. It looks like they wasted their own time, regardless of the failed human’s involvement.
Whether he can be pursued privately for harassment is another matter. Ceri is looking into the possibilities.
That’s wonderful news!
She should never have had to go through this process of legal bullying and intimidation in the first place though.
I think some heads should roll within the police itself over this disgraceful abuse of power. I wouldn’t trust anyone involved in the case against her to ever behave as anything other than thugs and bullies without any hint of integrity or professional ethics what so ever.
Wonderful news! It’s a crying shame that anyone involved ever thought that prosecuting anybody for a harmless tweet was a good idea, though, especially since they refuse to get involve when someone tweets explicit threats.
I think there is a deeper issue here: It should not be a crime to “offend” someone. It is not a crime to have bigoted thoughts or beliefs. Distasteful, obsolete, sure. I have a big problem with thought policing, the whole “hate crime” field. how is this really any different than Pakistani Blasphemy laws? How in the hell is posting something on an Instagram feed a crime in any way. ANYTHING?
Brian M@10: “I have a big problem with thought policing, the whole “hate crime” field.”
Careful not to throw the baby out with the bathwater, there. “Hate Crime” is a pretty broad term. In much of the U.S., it’s not a category of crimes in and of itself, but rather an aggravating factor to an actual crime. So you’d never get arrested for posting something ‘offensive’ on Twitter–but if you routinely post white nationalist BS, and then get busted for hitting a person of color with a brick, the prosecutor would use the Twitter feed to show this was a hate crime, and elevate the charge accordingly.
The closest we have to this sort of bunkum are the ‘hate speech’ rules at various schools and universities, where putting a swastika on your dorm door would be considered sufficient cause for disciplinary action.
Back on topic, while this is great news for Millar, I have to assume that the prosecutor finally realized that a trial would only serve to make them look like a bunch of horses’ asses, in part because it would’ve been widely covered in the media, and their arguments would’ve been utterly ludicrous. With less press attention, or in a more borderline case, this could’ve gone very differently.
The not-so-good news today is that Prof. Kathleen Stock has chosen to leave Sussex University. While the VC’s statement today is strongly supportive of her, the fact that the SU’s lack of action in the face of many earlier attacks on Stock, or that her union wasn’t supportive of her rights either, not to mention that her fellow philosophers at SU didn’t speak out in support of her academic freedom, is surely a factor in Stock’s decision to go.
That this will be taking by her critics as a win will only serve to whet their appetite for targeting other gender-critical feminists like Stock.
Ah shit. That’s so horrible.
I also think that while SU was fine with making an official statement supporting Stock, they weren’t about to take any actions against those making threats against her.
So overnight Sussex University becomes unattractive to all students who aren’t misogynist bullies.
The dark lining inside the silver cloud is that the entire ordeal and debacle should NEVER have happened in the first place. A great deal of harm has been done, just by entertaining even the possibility that Millar’s conduct could come within the ambit of criminal law. It’s still outrageous. The flood of relief that sense has prevailed at last should not obscure the horror and malevolence of what has been done to Millar.
maddog1129 @ 16
That the process has become the punishment is something that needs to be changed either by the authorities changing their practices or by legislation if necessary. Because even if one bad actor finally goes away, there will be another taking their place soon enough.
Very true about the dark lining.
Unsurprisingly, The Man at the Bus Stop (an homage to Ayn Rand?) has not made mention of this turn of evens so far today, He has retweeted a call for evidence gathering that the LGB Alliance violate charity commission rules.
I wonder if he’s ever been offered the part of Javert? He’s got the method down.
In which I suggest what he can do with a pumpkin pie, and likely provoke a blocking:
https://twitter.com/malegauze/status/1453812544427249669
For the blocked:
The Watcher
@malegauze
·
3m
Replying to
@DavidPaisley
Send it as a token of apology to Marion Millar. Send one to Ceri Black and drop your “charges” against her, too.