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Efforts by a Haitian group demanding arrest warrants against former President Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) have fizzled out.

An Ohio court “found no probable cause” to issue warrants against Trump and his vice presidential running mate for claims of “baseless fear-mongering that legal Haitian immigrants are eating their neighbor’s pets,” according to the law firm representing the nonprofit group retained by the Haitian community.

The Haitian Bridge Alliance “invoked a private-citizen right” and filed the lawsuit in September “over the chaos and threats” allegedly brought about by comments made by Trump and Vance.

(Video Credit: WBNS 10TV)

“The case filed by the Haitian Bridge Alliance requests charges of felony inducing panic, disrupting public services, making false alarms, two counts of complicity, two counts of telecommunications harassment, and aggravated menacing,”  according to the Springfield News-Sun.

The Ohio court referred the criminal case to county prosecutors.

“The matter was then referred to the Clark County prosecutor’s office for further investigation,” Springfield officials said on Oct. 5.

“The conclusion of whether the evidence and causation necessary for probable cause exists to commence a prosecution of the alleged offenses is best left in the investigatory hands of the prosecution,” the decision by the judges stated, noting “the strong constitutional protections afforded to speech, and political speech in particular.”

“The presidential election is less than 35 days away. The issue of immigration is contentious,” the ruling said. “Due to the proximity of the election and the contentiousness concerning the immigration policies of both candidates, the Court cannot automatically presume the good faith nature of the affidavits.”

According to the Springfield News-Sun:

The court ruling states that this does not mean HBA executive director Guerline Jozef does not believe what she alleges, but brings into question whether her conclusions that Trump and Vance’s “political speech” are criminal are influenced by her personal experiences, “as opposed to an objective analysis of the alleged speech, the constitutional protections afforded to that speech, the alleged conduct occurring within the community, and a claimed nexus between the speech and that conduct.”

Under Ohio law, a private citizen seeking to “cause an arrest or prosecution” can file an affidavit with “a reviewing official” — a judge, prosecuting attorney or magistrate — to have them review the facts and decide if a complaint should be filed.

“It is crucial to foster discussions around sensitive issues, particularly those concerning immigration, with a commitment to truth and integrity,” Springfield officials said.

The city said it was “dedicated to promoting constructive dialogue and addressing community concerns transparently,” adding that “the safety and well-being of all residents, including the Haitian immigrant community, continue to be our highest priority.”

HBA attorney Subodh Chandra expressed he was “disappointed” by the referral to the prosecutor, calling the judges’ decision “condescending and cruel to Haitian immigrants.” The attorney noted that a concurring opinion by Judge Stephen Schumaker “seems to pretend that somehow, it’s a coin toss as to whether Trump’s and Vance’s lies about Haitian immigrants are true and whether the governor, mayor, and city manager truly said those lies are false.”

Social media users reacted to the filing and the subsequent decision by the Ohio court.

Frieda Powers
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