(PatriotNews.net) – An Ohio court has rejected a request by the Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) to arrest Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and his running mate, Senator JD Vance. The HBA had accused Trump and Vance of making false claims that Haitian nationals in Springfield, Ohio, were eating local pets and wildlife.
According to officials in Springfield, a panel of judges from the Clark County municipal court found there was no probable cause to issue warrants or charges against Trump and Vance. In their decision, the judges emphasized the importance of free speech, particularly political speech, under the Constitution.
The judges stated, “The strong constitutional protections afforded to speech, and political speech in particular, must be considered.” They explained that it was not their role to determine whether the statements made by Trump and Vance were true or false. Instead, they said this issue should be investigated further by prosecutors.
With the election just over a month away, the court noted how contentious immigration policies have become. Because of the timing of the election and the heated nature of immigration debates, the judges were careful not to assume that the claims in the affidavits were made in good faith.
Judge Stephen Schumaker agreed with the court’s decision, saying that proving such claims false would be difficult. He added that while there might not be any evidence to back up Trump and Vance’s statements, that doesn’t automatically prove them false.
The HBA had previously filed criminal charges against the two politicians, accusing them of spreading harmful and baseless comments about the Haitian community in Springfield. Guerline Jozef, the executive director of the HBA, claimed that these remarks had caused “devastating harm” to the community and led to bomb threats and racial threats in the area.
A spokesperson for Trump’s campaign defended his comments, saying that Trump was drawing attention to problems with the immigration system. She added that Trump would secure the border and stop the chaos caused by illegal immigration.
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